


The Survival Saga

by sunsetmondays



Series: The Survival Saga [1]
Category: MindCrack RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Gen, Implied Relationships, Minecraft, Minor Character Death, alternate in-game universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2018-02-10 09:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2019069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetmondays/pseuds/sunsetmondays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lost in a strange world with no memory, and driven by the fear of what lurks in the night, together they must search for answers and learn to survive in the wild land that they're forced to call home.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>His breath hitched in his throat as something warm and heavy settled upon him, straddling his shaking frame as he stared up into the darkness. Seth stilled, his body frozen as fear swallowed every conscious thought. A cold, sharp edge pressed against his throat and he swallowed a whimper, knowing that regardless of what beastly thing had him in its grasp, he was going to die...</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wide Awake

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for fantasy violence, but not gore. To date, all shipping is purely implied. This is not dead nor abandoned. I'm just slow. This has been an extremely busy and important year for me and I fell out of the fandom for a while, but I'm back, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Whelp, it looks like I'm actually committing myself to do this - my first genfic series. Well, mostly genfic. I'm not sure if smut will happen (you never really know with me), but I'm pretty sure there will be some shipping, so just a short warning for if you don't like that kinda stuff._
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> Anyways, thankyou to BlueTwilight for beta'ing this fic and I hope you guys enjoy.

Seth awoke, confused and wary in the light of the afternoon sun. Surrounded by the untouched and untamed greenery of a thick forest, Seth picked himself up from the damp grass and looked around, a chilling sense of danger leering on the edge of his mind. He tried to search through his memories for an explanation, worry bleeding into his thoughts as he came up blank. Nothing - no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything about his life but his name and the imminent thought that danger lurked in the coming night.

He stumbled through the forest with the burning red of the setting sun to his back, confused but determined. Each crunch and crackle had him glancing through the trees and peering over his shoulder. Seth swore he was being chased but there was nothing to be seen but leafy greens and rough bark. Almost aimlessly, he moved through the forest, unsure of where he was heading. All he knew was that he had to get away before darkness consumed the horizon because something would come and every inch of him screamed that that something was out to see him dead.

Endless moments passed by as Seth continued to stumble through the trees, the sun now almost completely swallowed by the horizon. He tripped, heart throbbing in his chest as he went sprawling across the grass. Rocks dug into his skin and the earthy smells of dirt and dew filled his nose as he lay on the grass, counting the seconds with each sharp breath. The light was almost completely gone and Seth knew he wouldn't get somewhere - anywhere in time. Fear beginning to numb his senses, he dared to roll over and glance up to see what horrors awaited him as the last of the light was swallowed by the shadows.

His breath hitched in his throat as something warm and heavy settled upon him, straddling his shaking frame as he stared up into the darkness. Seth stilled, his body frozen as fear swallowed every conscious thought. A cold, sharp edge pressed against his throat and he swallowed a whimper, knowing that regardless of what beastly thing had him in its grasp, he was going to die and that-

His thoughts were cut off by a low but menacing voice barely inches from his ear. "Don't move a muscle." The tone was cold and unfriendly, but Seth still breathed a small sigh of relief that he wasn't going to become some wild beast’s dinner in this strange nightmare. His pulse still pounded in his ears and his hands still trembled against his sides, but for once, something familiar hummed in the back of his mind, bringing the soft presence of hope to his addled thoughts. Among the memories of nothing and no-one, a small part of Seth found something familiar in this stranger pinning him to the ground. He couldn't tell who they were or why they were familiar, but despite his racing fear around him, Seth felt almost safe.

The man pressed his knees into Seth's sides, daring him to budge as he sheathed his weapon and shuffled through a small bag hanging from his shoulder. After a short scuffle with materials pulled from his bag, the sharp snick of stone against steel echoed through the air before a small torch blossomed into light, bringing shape and colour to the dark forest. The man that sat upon Seth was tall and lean but surprisingly strong for his thin frame with wispy, platinum hair. A dark mask that reached from the lines of his collarbone to the bridge of his nose hid most of his expression, and what hid in his eyes - one a soft blue, the other a stark and almost artificial red lined with a faded vertical scar - did little more to reveal his intentions.

"Now," the man said in a softer tone, more confident now that the stranger before him wasn't about to run, "who are you and what are you doing here?"

Still breathing in nervous, ragged gasps, Seth tried not to stumble over his words. "Seth… I'm Seth." He swallowed hard, sure his story wouldn't be believed. "I've got n-no idea where this place is or w-why I'm here. Something was chasing me and I had to get away." The stranger visibly relaxed, loosening his hold on Seth's ribs and letting his eyes crinkle up into what Seth assumed to be a smile.

"Good to meet you, Seth. I'm Etho. Now if you want to stay alive, follow me." Etho stood before offering a hand to Seth. Seth gladly took it, letting Etho pull him up before tenderly rubbing the bruises from his fall.

Etho led him through the forest at a brisk pace, leaving Seth with a sheen of sweat as he struggled to match Etho's sure footing and long steps. The dim light from the torch did little to help Seth see, and he wondered how Etho could move so smoothly through the forest while still keeping a sharp eye on the surrounding shadows. Seth tripped again on an exposed root, cursing himself for not paying closer attention to the ground. In a flash, Etho was there, catching him by the arms before Seth could have another foray in the dirt.

Letting Seth right himself, Etho placed a finger on his lips, gesturing for silence. Both froze as Etho glanced around the forest with a little more urgency than before. "You hear that?" Etho whispered, turning in a slow circle. Seth cringed at each barely audible crunch of dried leaves underfoot, subconsciously inching closer to Etho. A sharp crack echoed through the night, followed by a strange and peculiar sound. Seth struggled to place the sound, finding it almost nothing like what he had heard before - kind of like a fast and low pitched croak with an otherworldly edge to the sound.

Purple sparks flashed in the corner of his vision before Etho roughly pulled him to the ground, carefully shielding Seth's eyes. "Don't look at it," Etho growled, burying his face in his arm.

"Look at what?"

"Don't worry. It shouldn't hurt us - as long as we don't look at it."

"Look at what?" Seth asked again, concern and a small hint of panic leaking into his voice.

"The nightman," Etho replied, the edge of fear in his voice sending shivers down Seth's spine.  
The seconds ticked by, matched by the count of Seth's short, muffled breaths. Finally, the air seemed to chill when more violet sparks crackled in the night, followed by the sharp sound of air rushing into a vacuum and a soft, almost indistinguishable pop as the sparks disappeared. Etho seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, finally relaxing his tense grip as once again he helped Seth up from the ground.

"It's gone, I think," said Etho, once again warily scanning the shadows of the forest. "At least we're almost there." Seth too looked around, searching for any sign of the mysterious beast that seemed to have both appeared from and vanished into thin air. Everything, bar the small patch where Etho had pulled him to the ground, remained undisturbed, almost as if the strange creature had never been there at all. Seth chewed his bottom lip, pondering the mystery as Etho began leading him through the forest again, slightly shaken from the close encounter.

"Where exactly are we going?" Seth asked as they continued to trek through the forest. The thick greenery seemed to go on forever and a small part of Seth wondered if they were lost or if there even was a set destination at all.

"To the others. There are twenty-five of us, not counting you. It's a long story, but you'll find out when we reach the settlement." Seth nodded, overwhelmed but content with Etho's answer.

Finally, after a short while more of walking through the forest, Seth squinted at the beginnings of a soft orange glow breaking through the trees. The scent of light, but clean smoke blew through the forest, creating a homey and comforting feel as they approached the edge of the trees. Here, things seemed warmer and almost friendly compared to the sinister edges of the dark night and enclosing greenery. Now, Seth too could hear the soft crackle of burning wood, and if he listened closely, the quiet hum of unfamiliar voices breaking through trees. Smells of roast meat and fresh spices joined the smoky breeze and Seth felt his stomach growl, realising just how hungry he was.

"We're here," Etho said with a hint of relief. Seth almost gasped as they broke through the trees into a sparse open plain with soft rolling hills and the hint of a river peeking through the inky shadows. Though, what was most astonishing about the sight was the large camp, no, settlement that lay before him - a diverse array of stone and wood buildings and huts differing in size and shape sat together just past the edge of the forest. Rickety shacks, more established houses of stone and wood, and an open array of gravel paths were all surrounded in a tall, oaken fence. All of this was brightly lit with torches like the one Etho carried, and sometimes, a strange yellow stone that seemed to glow of its own accord.

Seth gaped at the sizeable community as Etho led him to a small gate almost indistinguishable among the rough fences. Stopping at the gate, Etho knocked three times before stepping back and waiting, a warm smile lighting his face. After the sound of a wooden latch being pulled free, the gate creaked open and Etho led Seth inside the place to face another tall and slim man who had just let them through. The man smiled, giving Etho a friendly wave as he slung a bow across his shoulder. "Found a new one, I see," said the man, giving Etho a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Yeah. Poor guy nearly had a heart attack when I pounced on him in the forest back there." Etho laughed as the stranger gave Seth a quick once-over before turning to face Etho again.  
"If you want to go take him to the community fire, I'll send one of the guys to go get Guude," the stranger said. Etho nodded, giving the man a parting wave before gesturing for Seth to follow him down the path.

"I hope you're not tired," said Etho as he led Seth to what he assumed to be the community fire. "It's gonna be a long night."

~ ~ ~


	2. After Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _It's been a couple of months, but guess what? I've actually continued to go through with this rather than completely forgetting about it and look at what we have here! I'm actually really getting hyped about this story and where I plan to take it and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I did writing it._
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> And again, thankyou to the lovely BlueTwilight for being my wonderful beta who makes me not quite as nervous about posting this. <3  
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Etho wasn't kidding when he said it was going to be a long night. He had led Seth to a large central bonfire surrounded by a collection of wooden logs and smoothstone chairs, many of which contained various groups of guys filling the air with the sound of playful banter and the occasional bout of laughter. Despite their unfamiliarity, they all seemed friendly and relaxed under the evening sky, and besides a few raised eyebrows and curious glances, none made any attempt to intercept Seth and Etho as they skirted around the edges of the group.

The pair stopped at the far side of the bonfire, standing in front of the tall and slim man from the gate and a shorter, stockier man with a slightly unruly mop of blond hair and a sweeping red cape. In the warm glow of the bonfire, Seth could now see that the tall man was rather pale with short, dark hair, dressed in black slacks and a form-fitting black t-shirt. Though, what Seth found to be most significant about the man were his dark, chocolaty eyes - the richest, deepest shade of brown that Seth had ever seen. Noticing him watching, the man gave Seth a half-smile while fiddling with the string of the bow slung across his body.

"Hey, I'm BTC," said the man, stepping forward and shaking Seth's hand. Seth glanced down at the ground and mumbled a polite reply. "And more importantly," BTC said, gesturing to the man beside him, "this is Guude - our unanimously elected leader and the first of us to end up in this hellish nightmare of a place."

"Unanimously my arse. There wasn't even a vote - you all just started calling me your leader like the damn guys you all are." Guude stepped forward, with a delighted grin that reached all the way up to his light emerald eyes. "So tell me, who are you?"

"I'm Seth. I don't really know much else; I kind of just woke up here with no m-" Guude raised a hand, his expression more serious as he intently watched Seth shift in the firelight.

"Let me guess. You woke up in a field with no idea where you were or why you were there. No memories of any possible previous life, except your name and the occasional feeling of familiarity."

"Wh... How did you know?" Seth asked, glancing curiously at Etho before concluding that there's no way he could have told Guude what he'd told Etho earlier.  
"Don't worry, guy. It's how all of us were when we ended up here." Seth looked at Guude, more perplexed than worried.

"If anything, we'd be more concerned if your story was anything but that," BTC interjected.  
"Well, anyhow, I bet you're absolutely starving and Etho and BTC here don't want to have to stand around listening to me jabber on, so you two go get some rest while I get Seth fed and up to speed on things." BTC and Etho nodded before turning with friendly waves and disappearing into the lively hum of the surrounding night.

After they'd parted ways with BTC and Etho, Guude led Seth to an oaken table off to the side of the bonfire. It was covered in an array of roasted meats and sides, filling the air with the aroma of subtle spices and delectably flavoured meats. Seth's stomach growled at the sight of food, reminding him of just how hungry he was, considering that he hadn't eaten since he arrived here and who knows how long it had been since he had last eaten before that. Guude laughed a pleasantly, infectious laugh and dished up plates for both him and Seth.

"I hope you like chicken, guy," Guude said, handing a plate to Seth who eyed the food hungrily.  
"He better," added a rough but cheery voice as he and a tall man in a long, tan trench coat stepped out from the shadows.

"Hey, Zisteau and Kurt!" Guude said. Zisteau grinned as Kurt moved to stand slightly behind the other man before giving a tentative wave. "This is Seth - he came in just earlier today." Guude gestured to Seth who voiced a polite greeting in between mouthfuls of roast chicken. "Zisteau here is one of the more recent members of this little community. The thirtieth one to arrive here, actually. He's also the wonderful cook of tonight's meal and it is delicious if I do say so myself. Then Kurt over there is the town astronomer and scientist. If there's anything you want to find out about this crazy world that we live in, he's your go to guy. He's even got his own special lab set up in one of the caves down the back!"

Kurt blushed from his position partially behind Zisteau, bowing his head and scooting even further into the shadows. "Well, good to meet you, Seth," Zisteau said, "but I do believe it's time me and Kurt head off now. It's gonna be a pain in the arse but it's Pause's turn to take care of dishes and heaven forbid he'd get them done without someone holding a sword to his back and dragging him up here to do it."

“Bye. I guess I’ll see ya around,” said Seth after swallowing his final bite of roast chicken. “And yes, I do like chicken. It was rather tasty if I do say so myself.” Zisteau chuckled before taking Kurt by the arm and walking off to go try and round up Pause.

Guude led Seth around the complex, explaining the various buildings and a little bit of the history of the place which Seth learnt was colloquially known as ‘Mindcrack’. “Because we’re all missing a little something up here,” Guude had explained, rapping his knuckles against his head, “all a little cracked in the mind.” He was also introduced to a countless number of people throughout the night and all too soon names and faces blurred into an incomprehensive mess lost between yawns and thick, foggy thoughts.

“Just one more to go, guy,” Guude said as Seth yawned again. They walked along a dimmer, less well-kept path now, weaving between soft shadows and the eerie whistle of a light breeze. Many of the faces Seth had met today had disappeared into buildings as things quietened up for the night. The bubbling, friendly atmosphere from before had faded as the moon rose high into the sky, making gently swaying branches turn to spindly clawed hands raking through the air and the soft call of wildlife into threatening growls and clunking rattles.

Seth kept close to Guude as they approached a more worn stone building in a far corner of the compound. The walls were thick and clunky, built more out of purpose than style, riddled with the occasional crack and patch of damp moss clinging to the stone bricks. The iron door creaked loudly when it was pushed open, aided by a hard shove after Guude unlocked it with a small key kept on a thin chain around his neck. It squeaked closed eerily behind them, accompanied by a heavy thud as it sealed shut.

The room was no bigger than eight by eight blocks wide, and the air was thick and musty. It too wasn't very brightly lit, with shadows pooling around the centre like a puddle of spilled ink. Seth blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the light as he further scanned the room, noticing a stack of old chests in the far left corner just below a small window - the only one in the room. He looked to the shadows in the centre again, now seeing the man sitting on the floor with his arms and head rested on his knees, hiding his face from view. Seth approached the figure partially hidden by the shadows, giving Guude an inquisitive glance.

"And this is Knee-bris," Guude said, gesturing to the man slumped before them.

The man chuckled, low and raspy with a pinch of amusement. "Actually, it's Nebris, and don't mind the eyes."

"Why would I mind the - Whoa!" Seth clutched at his chest and stumbled back a step as Nebris looked up, revealing his face. Staring up at him were two startlingly bright violet eyes caught in an ethereal glow framed by a face with soft features with a short and neat beard. "They're… violet." Seth took a tentative step towards Nebris, only to be blocked by a tall and shadowy figure that seemed to have materialised from nothing. Seth flinched at the sudden appearance and let out a startled yelp.

"Not too close," Etho growled, giving Seth a warning glare. "We're still not too sure if he's safe... ever since the incident." Seth stepped back again, perturbed by the sudden change from Etho's previously calm and friendly demeanour. Now, Etho seemed wary and guarded - protective almost. Seth wondered what could have put Etho so on edge, unsure of who exactly Etho was protecting from who. Whatever it was, Seth was certain that if it came to it, Etho would kill to keep those that he was protecting safe.

"What do you mean by 'safe'?" Seth questioned.

"It's a bit of a long story, but there are these things - these nightmen as we call them. They're usually harmless if you leave them alone. Sometimes you'll see them taking clumps of dirt or stealing hunks of stone from the land before disappearing into thin air. But sometimes, they take people," Guude explained.

"Take people?" Seth whispered, shifting uncomfortably as a shiver ran down his spine.  
"Yes. And these people don't come back. With Nebris here, one of them tried to take him and he supposedly fought it off. Then this happened." Guude gestured to Nebris' eyes which seemed to contain a light of their own in their spectacular hue.

"He hasn't tried anything yet, but all this is just to be safe. We've already lost too many to these nightmen and we don't want one of our own taking down any more," Etho interjected. His eyes flickered to Nebris before meeting Seth's gaze with a hard stare. Seth got the message loud and clear: if you don't want to get hurt, stay away.

Seth yawned again, stretching his arms out and bending back a little. He wobbled slightly, remembering just how tired he was. Rather stunned and with a cold chill tracing icy fingers down the back of his neck, he exited the building with Guude, stumbling mindlessly to the bed that Guude pointed out in some homely building that he was sure he wouldn't remember in the morning. Guude said a farewell and left, leaving him to kick off his shoes and pull off his shirt before dumping himself face-first on the bed. He didn't remember falling asleep, nor would he remember the dreams of unnaturally lanky shadowy beings, glowing violet eyes, and the terrors that he could sense that were lingering in the dark.

~ ~ ~


	3. From The Journal I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _Oh look. It hasn't even been a whole month yet. What is this?! I better slow down the writing or you might start expecting fics every single month and what ever would I do then? :P But anyways, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was such fun and people are such cuties._
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> _And of course, I musn't forget to thank BlueTwilight, my lovely beta. <3_  
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Day 28, Entry 1.  
_I've been here for too long now, almost a... 'month' is the word that comes to mind when I count out the nights etched into the bark of the tree above the rough cobble shack I've come to call home. After all this time, I finally put together some reeds and leather into a book and, without much else to keep me entertained here, I thought why not make a journal. Even if no one reads it, I guess it is kind of calming to write this all down somewhere and sort through my thoughts._

_Well, where to start? I guess the beginning is the best place. I woke up here in short but wild grass and the sun blaring down at me. I swear it was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me, but here's the thing: I don't know what else has happened to me, at least not before I woke up here. I knew how to speak, cook, and a whole bunch of things, but no matter how hard I try I can't remember anything about before that day I woke up here. Guude is the name that comes to mind when I think about who I am, but beyond that, I'm very much lost and very much afraid._

_After stumbling around a forest for most of the first day, some weird-ass gut instinct told me I had to find someplace safe, and I tell ya, I’m damn glad I did. At night, there are these... things that come out - these monsters of rotting flesh and rattling bone. There are giant spiders, and even these leafy green horrors that freaking explode! And they're all out to get me. Sometimes I lie awake at night jumping at every mournful moan or sharp creak outside this cobble shack I put together on my second night here, and while most of them seem to burn in the sunlight those darn exploding things don't. The darn guys keep creeping up on me and I swear I've almost died twice._

_When I think about it, I know that I really shouldn't be alive and I don't know if it's normal, but my wounds heal rather quickly. I don't even know if this counts as quickly, but I guess it just kind of feels like the right word to use. And even though this idea of death that I toss around so much seems like such a permanent thing, that same gut feeling that had me running for the hills that first night tells me that maybe death isn't so permanent here, but I'm still not very eager to see if that's true._

_Beyond that, I haven't done much else in this place. I've found some iron, made some armour, and kept myself alive in this crappy little shack. A huge part of me wants to know what's going on here and wants to see if I can find a way out, but I don't know where to start. It was just me all by myself with no idea where to start and no idea what to do. The boredom was almost killing me. But then I learnt I'm not alone._

_He doesn't like to talk much, but his name is The Jims (he punched me in the shoulder and oh so kindly corrected me when I simply called him Jims). I found him wandering the forest two days ago, just as lost and confused as I was when I got here. He was just about ready to head off in the complete opposite direction and if I hadn't been chasing that darn chicken through the forest after it messed up my wheat farm, I might never have even met him. And now, I sometimes wonder if before The Jims, that I really wasn't the only one here, but that those before me were already long gone in directions I never even thought to follow._

~ ~ ~

Day 41, Entry 5.  
_It's been quite a few days since my last entry. I almost forgot about this damn thing. But anyhow, nearly four days ago Madcow, Alcemedes, and Stennet nearly got their heads chopped off when they ran into this small little camp The Jims and I have set up here. We were damn near convinced they were another group of those horrible creatures and we really weren't ready to take any chances. Luckily, they had the sense to stop the shouting and convince us that they weren't some sort of undead creature._

_Madcow had been the first of them to wake up in this place, apparently not too long after I ran into The Jims. Alcemedes and Stennet followed shortly after, joining up with Madcow and wandering around what they had started calling 'spawn' before finally stumbling across us in the middle of the night. An attempt at an interrogation revealed that they were just as clueless as us about things, having woken up just like I had. However, in their short time here they'd managed to catch glimpses of these strange tall creatures as dark as the night with razor-sharp teeth and glowing, violet eyes. Having not seen them myself, I'm still rather wary about the existence of these nightmen and so far me and The Jims have been sleeping in shifts, just in case one of these strangers decides to stab us in the back._

_Other than that, not much else has changed in this place. We did find a couple of diamonds in a cave far below the cobble house that The Jims and I have come to call home, but I've still got no idea what we're going to do with them. When Stennet found out, he suggested we try crafting them into a sword, claiming he might know how. I still don't trust him and have since made sure the diamonds are kept on me at all times. The Jims calls me over-cautious but in this place, you can never be too sure._

~ ~ ~

Day 43, Entry 7  
_Madcow, the damn guy, accidentally dropped some of our supplies into a fire last night, damn near burning himself too when he tried to dive into the thing to save them. Stennet pulled him out before he could do anything else stupid but we lost a lot of good gear in there and it's gonna be a real pain in the ass without it. To help get us back on our feet after that Alcemedes and The Jims have headed out into the forest to try and gather up some replacements for the lost gear leaving just me, Stennet, and Madcow to wander around the place._

Stennet seems to like to keep to himself, I guess. I rarely see him around the place, and when I do he's usually around Alcemedes. I've really got no idea but I think there may be a bit of a thing going on between them, but whatever the hell is going on, I don't really care. Madcow seems like an alright guy. If you ask me, he's a bit of a jerk for dropping all that stuff in the fire, though. Several times already I've nearly gone to stab him for how annoying he can be, but I've gotta admit that he's got a pretty decent sense of humour.

It is starting to get a bit late now and while I'm still not entirely sure the new guys are to be trusted, I guess I'm warming up to them a bit. The company is kinda nice, actually. And regardless of if we're trapped in this place or not, things aren't seeming anywhere near as bad as they were for the first couple of nights. I'm still nervous as fuck about some things but I'm at least getting a decent amount of sleep at night.

I guess I better go yell at Madcow now. He's been pelting rocks at the wall for ages now and it's really starting to get on my nerves.

~ ~ ~

"Can you quit that, guy?" Guude said, sending an icy scowl in the direction of Madcow who, for the past several minutes, had been tossing small stones at the cobble wall that acted as a temporary barrier between them and most of the creatures lurking out in the night. Madcow smirked, picking up another stone and lobbing it at the wall. It hit home with a sharp crack that grated against Guude's nerves in all the wrong ways before crumbling and landing on the grass amongst the debris of the other stones unlucky enough to be within Madcow's reach.

"Quit what?" Madcow teased, aiming his next stone at a spot where he was sure some of the rubble would end up pelting Guude.

"You know what," Guude grumbled. "It's been what, five days? And I already wish I'd smacked my sword into your ugly head back when I had the chance to. I don't know how you could get any more annoying." Guude continued to scowl, weighing a rock in his hand before making a half-arsed attempt at lobbing it at Madcow. much to his dismay, it missed Madcow by a good block and a half.

"You know you love me already," Madcow teased. He laughed before picking up another rock and throwing it at Guude where it hit him square in the shoulder.

"Seriously, guy?" Guude said, rubbing his shoulder. Madcow hit him with another rock, a playful glint in his eyes. "That's it. You've really done it now..." Guude picked himself up off his perch on a larger rock, letting his journal fall onto the dirt. Madcow froze for a moment, watching as Guude walked towards him. Eventually, his instinct kicked in and he found himself scrambling to rise, taking off as quick as he could with Guude hot on his tail.

"Catch me if you can!" Madcow called, turning back for a moment to flash a cocky grin.

"You wanna make a bet?" Guude replied, finding himself smiling as well while he chased Madcow across the small compound.

For a good ten minutes, Guude and Madcow chased each other around the makeshift cobble huts and the beginnings of a small wooden house in the brisk evening air, trading insults and gleeful grins. It made for a good break from the stress and worry of life inside wherever it was that they had found themselves in. Despite his earlier annoyances, Guude couldn't help but admit that in this moment, he really was enjoying himself. For a short while, he could almost forget the circumstances around them and pretend that this was how life always had been.

"You're it," Guude said, wrestling Madcow to the floor. Madcow laughed openly, shoving Guude off of him before trading friendly punches to the shoulder. "You know, you really aren't all that bad," said Guude.

Madcow laughed again, this time a soft little giggle warming the chill in the air. "Maybe not," he said. He stared off into the distance, watching the gentle sway of the trees before noticing a warm yellow light weaving its way between the trees. "Look! I think that's Alcememdes and The Jims heading in now!"

"Well, c'mon then. They'll probably want a hand lugging some of that stuff in." Guude pulled Madcow up and jogged towards the steadily growing source of light. Four figures emerged from the trees - The Jims, Alcemedes, and two strangers. No, five figures. Slung over one of the strangers shoulders was the unmistakable shape of another man, his features made almost completely unrecognisable by the smears of blood dripping from numerous wounds. Guude took one of The Jims' bags and slung it over his shoulder and Madcow went to help support the man carrying the fifth stranger until they reached the safety of the compound where all possessions were dumped in favour of tending to the injured man.

"We found some friends," Alcemedes called out to Guude before his words were drowned out by the sharp cry of one of the strangers.

The man knelt in front of the injured guy, gently slapping his face. "Espie. Espie! C'mon, stay with me." He breathed hard, his words thick with distress. Tears threatened to spill onto his cheeks as he continued to try and wake his friend. "C'mon dude, don't do this to me. Stay with us Espie, just say something... Please."

The first stranger knelt down too, placing a hand of the man's shoulder while resting two fingers against Espie's throat. "I'm sorry, Crysix. He's gone. There's nothing else we can do now. Leave him."

A silent no escaped the second strangers lips before a sorrowful sob echoed through the hut, the wind now whistling a mournful tune as if nature itself was there watching the scene play out before them.

"What happened?" Guuide asked, looking across at the new faces.

"Nightman," The Jims gasped, gulping down air from the run through the forest. "It came just before we found Paul, Crysix, and Epsie here. We're lucky the thing disappeared when it did otherwise Epsie might not have been the only casualty tonight.

"But I thought those things were harmless." Guude watched as Paul tried to calm Crysix down, letting the weight of the events sink in.

"Me too," said The Jims. "Me too."

~ ~ ~ **  
**


	4. Taking Up Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Six long, cruel months of waiting, plotting, and failing to write. And now it's done. *cheers* I haven't forgot about this series. It's come to be my baby and I'm very excited about what I've got planned for the rest of the story._
> 
> Unfortunately, my original beta BlueTwilight has since left the salad and thus the position of full-time beta for this fic is currently open. Blue did a wonderful job on the first few chapters and I'm sad to see her go, but for this chapter a huge thankyou to Silvercheers for betaing this chapter for me. She did a wonderful job with it and I'm always happy to work with her. <3
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

"Town meeting."

"Obsidian..."

"Dangerous ... gotta explore it."

"... our only lead."

The rumours had spread like wildfire through the night. Talks of a new discovery - something big - circled around the compound in hurried whispers and wild speculation. And of all the rumours passed around, only one thing was certain: change was beginning to stir in the peaceful waters of Mindcrack and these rumours were only just the tip of the iceberg.

Seth hadn't gathered much from the few overheard conversations between the people around him over breakfast. Everyone was far too tense and far too involved in their own routines and duties to pay him much mind. Any questions he did ask resulted in blank stares of feigned disinterest. Whatever it was that was going on, they either didn't know themselves or didn't trust him enough to share; which was fair enough, considering that he'd barely spent a night here, let alone talked with them enough to garner their favour.

BTC was one such Mindcracker who seemed rather intent on keeping him out of the know. His expression had been stoic and unreadable when Seth had asked him if he had any idea about what was going on. "I'm about as clueless as you. I'm only here to get you started on your training," BTC had deadpanned, though Seth found that hard to believe. BTC finding a sudden interest in the flowers that lined the gravel path after he’d answered didn't do much to strengthen his credibility. Seth dropped the subject; pestering him about it would only be a waste of breath.

"You do know why you're with me today, right?" BTC asked after several minutes of walking.

Seth looked up from the path and nodded. "Something something, self defence." When Guude woke him up this morning to brief him on where to find breakfast, among other important things, he had mentioned something about what his itinerary for the day would be. Unfortunately, Seth hadn't been paying too much attention, more concerned with picking the sleep from the corners of his eyes and trying to remember last night's dream.

"Sword fighting, to be specific," BTC confirmed. "You should already know by now that this place isn't exactly safe - it was agreed that you should be able to protect yourself as soon as possible. And this is where you're going to learn how to do it." BTC stopped and gestured at the area in front of him. A sizeable rectangle of sandy dirt surrounded by a couple of wooden benches laid claim to the title of training grounds. The ground, whilst flat, didn’t look particularly soft and any fall would certainly leave behind a bruise or two. To top off the rugged look, a wooden shack displaying an array of vicious-looking weaponry sat in the north-west corner.

Seth stared, wide-eyed and curious. "Sword fighting?" he echoed. BTC laughed and led Seth to the shack. As they approached, Seth noticed a small table already set up with what he assumed to be the gear they planned to use. That gear included some leather armour with a variety of confusing straps and buckles, some blunt wooden swords, a couple of especially smooth and straight sticks, and a single iron sword. They all looked well beyond Seth's skill level.

BTC arrived at the table first and gestured at the equipment. "First, we're gonna get suited up in the armour. It does restrict movement a bit, but not that much. Most don't leave the camp without armour on anyway, so it's best to get you used to working with it." He chucked Seth a chest piece and reached for the other.

Following several minutes of confused untangling and a short demonstration from BTC, he struggled to try and pull it on. After sticking his head through the arm hole for the third time, BTC came over to help him and then tightened up the straps.

The breeches were a little easier, more like pulling on a normal set of pants. The boots came on next, with a small struggle to bend over - courtesy of the rigidity of his new armour - and finally, he pulled the leather cap over his dark hair. BTC was right. The armour was tight but not too confining, although he did notice how warm he was getting. Sweat was already starting to tickle his skin under the thick leather. He took an experimental walk around while BTC confirmed that everything was attached correctly. Satisfied, BTC reached for the smooth sticks which Seth could now see were adorned with simple leather wraps to act as grips.

The two moved out into the open where BTC could begin the lesson. "Now," he began, "the most important thing when you fight someone is your stance. It's your foundation and a weak stance makes a weak fighter. You draw your power from your stance so it must be strong, but you must also remain light and ready to move." BTC stood, feet a shoulder width apart with his right foot a comfortable distance back from his left. His knees were bent and his body was relaxed but alert. "See? Try and push me over."

Seth gave BTC a hard shove on the shoulder. His body moved, absorbing the impact, while his feet remained still. BTC moved his feet back to a normal standing position. "Now try again." Seth obeyed. This time, BTC stumbled pack several paces. "See the difference?" Seth nodded. "Now, you try."

Seth did his best to mimic BTC's stance. It felt awkward and a bit cramped until BTC nudged his back leg further back.

"See. That's more like it," said BTC. Seth smiled awkwardly and BTC moved on with his next instruction.

The pair spent the next couple of hours going over several simple moves. By the time they stopped for a break, the sun was high in the sky, beating down on the two in an unforgiving haze. Seth stopped and wiped his forehead, his face damp and flushed. "Break?" he suggested. BTC nodded, also feeling the heat. Moving into the shade of the hut, Seth stripped off his amour while BTC fetched some water.

Wriggling out of the leather breeches, he heard someone walk in. "Nice pants," said a voice. Seth stumbled as he tried to turn around, almost tripping in his hurry. He looked up to find a tan guy leaning on the doorway. He tried to place a name as the man watched with a smirk.

"Pause," the man said in response to Seth’s failure. He strode over to Seth and traced a hand along his shoulders as he circled the man. "Need a hand getting out of those pants?" he asked. Pause playfully tugged at the waistband of Seth's pants and raised an eyebrow. Seth's face flushed a deeper shade of red and he finally pulled his legs out of the breeches.

"I… uh, I-" Seth began.

"Don't mind him," BTC interrupted, striding quickly in with the water, "he's like that with everyone." He gave Pause a stern look. "And give the new guy a break, guy. He only just got here."

Pause shrugged, slapping Seth on the arse as he walked over to BTC. "What? He's cute... But not as cute as you," he purred. He brushed up against BTC, only to be pushed away. BTC crossed his arms. Any further attempts at distracting him clearly weren't going to be tolerated.

Seth picked up his bottle of water, glad for the cool relief, while Pause and BTC bickered in the corner. Whatever was going on between the two, it wasn't his place to intrude. He was just as happy to ignore them and enjoy the break and think about the events of the past couple of days. The suddenness of it all had left him in a daze and he still couldn't come to comprehend just what had happened to him. The frustration of not being able to remember did little to help keep his head clear.

"You what, mate?!" Pause growled, cutting through Seth's train of thought. BTC laughed mockingly and Seth warily put down his water bottle, wondering if he was capable of breaking up a fight. But Pause's indignance turned into a playful grin as he picked up the nearest iron sword. "You wanna take this outside?"

"You bet I do," BTC purred. He mirrored Pause's grin and grabbed the iron sword he had shown Seth before. The pair made their way outside, flinging good-humoured insults across the warm afternoon air. Seth scampered to follow behind. His confusion was apparent, but he could feel the excitement charging between Pause and BTC with each taunt and display of bravado.

Out in the open, the first clash of iron swords echoed through the air. Pause had gone for a lazy swing from the side and BTC brought his sword up for a block that effortlessly swept Pause's sword down and out of the way. But this was only teasing. Unhindered by the lack of armour, each move only increased in speed and force, the other retaliating with vicious grace. The two were well matched and soon they circled around the bare dirt in a dance-like formation, spinning, slicing, and blocking to a rhythm only charted by the tenor of cold metal against metal.

Seth watched, entranced by the flowing movements of the sparring partners. Determination was set in each man's eyes, still lit by playful smirks and cocky grins. Perspiration gathered in the afternoon heat as Pause and BTC locked into a stalemate. They matched each other swing for swing and sheer force seemed to be the next move in the game. Muscles tensed and each hard block now drew a grunt.

Seth could see the strain on their faces but both refused to concede until BTC eventually caught the hilt of Pause's sword in a lock between the flat of his blade and his chest. Pause's arms shook in an attempt to break free, but BTC only held on tighter. While Pause was lithe and quick, BTC had the advantage of strength, but Pause refused to resign. Faster than Seth could follow, Pause twisted and spun, breaking free. This left BTC unbalanced and Pause was quick to sweep his feet out from underneath him.

BTC landed hard on his back, gasping for breath. Pause straddled him, holding his sword to his opponent's throat. Both breathed hard and a drop of sweat lingered on the tip of Pause's nose. "I win," he rasped, head cocked to the side. BTC glared and shoved Pause off of him. Pause remained sprawled out on the dirt where he landed and just laughed. With a huff, BTC collected his sword and marched back to the hut.

"Sour loser!" Pause called out to him. Propping himself up, he turned to Seth and said, "Don't mind him. He's like that all the time." Seth, still reeling from the intensity of the fight, ignored the comment and offered a hand to help Pause up. He gave Seth a short thankyou and then the tanned man brushed the dirt from his clothes and collected the swords that had been strewn across the dirt.

By the time the two had meandered over to the weapons hut, after a playful tussle or two in the dirt, BTC had already cleaned and stored the gear from before and was now leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and attempting to look uninterested. His attempt at a poker face did little to hide the hint of a scowl creasing his lips - one that only grew when the pair approached. It looked as though he was ready to drop straight back into the previous argument, minus the playful edge from earlier.

"So are you coming to the meeting tonight?" Pause asked. It was an innocent question, by Seth’s measure.

BTC’s scowl deepened, but he dropped his arms to his sides, defeated. "Fine. I will. But only on one condition: we send two guys out to run the rounds tonight. I don't want Baj going out alone, okay?"

"I can agree with that," said Pause, "the compromise is more than worth the risk." Seth assumed this had something to do with one of the conversations he had overheard at breakfast - important rounds that needed to be done but had no-one else to do them. Tension was running high amongst the group and this meeting that kept coming up appeared to be of utmost importance to everyone who'd come to call this place home.

The shorter of the two visibly relaxed at the agreement, though anyone could tell that he still wasn't entirely happy with the way things had turned out. With a perturbed sigh, BTC detached himself from the wall and glanced up at the sun. "I guess we’d better start heading in and grab something to eat," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," said Pause, returning to a cheery tone.

After a short squabble over leaving the two iron swords unsharpened and unpolished, the trio made their way back to the centre of the settlement, BTC kicking up gravel as he continued to mope about the swords. Seth paid vague attention to Pause's idle chatter, keeping with monosyllabic responses and short grunts. The talk of this big meeting weighed over him and he wondered just what it meant. Whatever it was, it didn't seem like he was going to be a part of it. He briefly wondered whether that would be for the better or for the worse.

For the better, he aptly decided when he saw the grim expression on Guude's face when they walked into the dining hall of what was colloquially known as 'Town'.

~ ~ ~


	5. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  __  
>  ~~GUESS WHO'S BACK BITCHES!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.~~  
>  Ahem, for those that don't know me, I am sunsetmondays, salader since early 2013. The Survival saga is my long-running gen-fic series that unfortunately hasn't been updated in nearly a year but I've fallen back into the fandom and it's back (albeit updates are still gonna be sporadic as I'm really busy with school stuff until november. I am still forever excited about my plans for this series. It truly is my baby. And special thanks to silvercheets for the beta job. She is truly fab. And for new saladers interested in starting from the beginning, you can either follow the previous/next links at the bottom of the chapter or head to my journal page for an aggregated list of all my fics.  
> Enjoy! 
> 
>  
> 
> **Warning for mention of minor character death.**

"It's happened again," said Guude.   
   
Pause and BTC's faces fell. Around them, the sounds of warm chatter and clinking kitchenware in the dining hall came to a halt. Seth glanced around the room. It felt like everyone was holding their breath, no person daring to be the first to break. The tension was more than a little unnerving and Seth could only turn his attention to Guude, waiting for an explanation. Pause and BTC stopped in their tracks, losing what little façade of playful banter they'd managed to upkeep during their walk back.  
   
Only Pause dared to break the silence. "Who?" he asked, voice trembling. Guude shared a pained grimace. His skin, already pale, appeared almost sickly so in the soft light of the hall, and his hair was unscrupulously unkempt. The news had hit him hard. He took an endless moment to respond, still caught in the grip of disbelief.  
   
"Shree. He's dead. A nightman. It… it took him."  
   
"No," Pause whispered, shaking his head in horror. Seth stared blankly, trying to picture the young face he'd only taken passing glances at. He’d barely known the boy, too young to be called a man, had barely spoken a single word to him. It was hard to comprehend that the face he'd just seen yesterday was now gone. Among the mass of grieving faces, Seth was alone, unable to conjure the personal sorrow shared by his fellows. Now, he could only feel the paralysing shock and tendrils of fear that came with the news.  
   
BTC crashed through the sea of emotions, speaking loud and clear, "As much as we'd all like to grieve, I think we all know just how much more important this makes tonight's meeting." He turned to Guude and continued. "I think we want everyone at the meeting tonight. Bare bones staffing. Nobody but those absolutely crucial to the safety of the settlement are to miss out."  
   
Guude nodded and raised his voice to spread the message to the crowd. "Batten down the hatches and seal the gates. Nobody in, nobody out. Those on perimeter rounds tonight, I know we don't normally do this, but you're to stay within the fence. Bring bows if you have to but nobody's to leave. All lights are to remain on. I don't want to see a single patch of unlit ground, you hear. If, for any reason, a mob does get in, don't take it on alone. There's a storm coming—I can feel it—and whatever happens, we better be prepared."  
   
The blond man moved with startling efficiency, becoming cold and reasonable as he swept the solemn Mindcrackers into action. Seth found himself caught in a flurry of activity. Orders rained in from every direction, sending everyone rushing to complete their tasks to prepare the settlement for the night.  
   
As the sun began to set, for the second time Seth was lead to a far corner of the compound. In the flickering torchlight the surrounding fauna was creepier still. Crawling shadows appeared to come alive between looming branches, and the slightest rustle of grass set Seth on edge.  
   
When they approached the thick iron door, Guude placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled out a diamond sword from where it sat hanging from his hip. "I trust that BTC has done a good enough job for you to be able to do at least a bit of damage with this." He handed Seth the sword and continued. "But you're to keep an eye on Nebris tonight. I doubt he'll be much trouble—he never is—but this is just to be safe." Seth nodded and Guude slipped a key into Seth's other hand and nudged him towards the door. With the crunch of footsteps fading behind him, Seth took a deep breath and entered the building.  
   
The musty room remained mostly unchanged since his last visit. Clammy darkness pressed in around him and dust motes flickered in the torchlight. The very air felt trapped in this eight by eight prison. Seth could only imagine how Nebris felt to be kept here all day.  
   
The door shut behind him with a bang, quite in contrast to the soft voice which rumbled from the centre of the room. "I've been expecting you." Goosebumps prickled Seth's skin and he dropped any ounce of sympathy he had begun to conjure in favour of gripping his sword even tighter. Nebris chuckled and raised his head, revealing his glowing violet eyes; they seemed brighter now. Seth shifted from foot to foot, then slowly approached, accidentally kicking aside a discarded wooden bowl as he did so.  
   
"So, you're today's night watch," Nebris said, welcoming him with a feral grin.  
   
Seth steadily circled the man, sword half-raised. "I guess so." He licked his lips and glanced around the room. The walls threatened to close in around him.  
   
"You may as well take a seat," said Nebris. Seth turned to him to see that he'd replaced his unsettling grin with a more casual, cocky smirk. No matter what expression he carried, he could always be likened to a predator, Seth noted. "The noble guards like to sit in that corner," Nebris announced, gesturing towards the far right corner behind him. As he did so, something sharp and metallic jangled: a short, metal chain reaching from a discreet cuff around Nebris' right wrist to a rusted bolt in the centre of the room. Seth couldn't recall seeing it in his last visit and couldn't help but glance around the room again, looking for any other changes he might have missed. Nothing looked out of place.  
   
Seth circled Nebris once more before settling in the corner to the left of the door. Nebris shot him what might have been a scowl before returning to his feral grin. Seth ignored him and began fiddling with his sword. For what little Seth thought he knew, some part of him said that it was a finely crafted piece. While for the most part the sword was undecorated, there was some detail carved into the hilt: what looked like a simple decal of an eye with a vertical pupil that encased a scene of star-like flecks.  
   
After a while of chilling silence, Seth finally put his sword down, the diamond clanking against hard stone. Nebris eyed him curiously, his stock-standard grin turning to an inquisitive pout. "It seems strange to have the new guy put on guard duty. Normally one of the more experienced guys are down here 'protecting' me," Nebris mused, "so what exactly has been happening out there for you to land the job, hmm?"  
   
It was dangerous to take the bait—Seth knew that well and clear—but despite fair warning from many that Nebris was a charlatan in action and was not to be communed with, Seth sighed and thought up an appropriate response. The man surely knew what was going on and was most likely fishing for leverage, but Seth made an attempt to humour him. "There's an important meeting happening tonight. Just about everyone has been called in."  
   
Nebris raised an eyebrow and reclined on the stone floor. "What's it about?"  
   
Seth laughed cynically. "Like they'd tell me." Whilst there was reason behind this, it was still true. Even during the flurry after Guude's announcement, no-one had let him in on what exactly was going on. "But," he continued, "from what I've gathered, there has been some sort of important discovery—some sort of big lead."  
   
Nebris' expression remained unreadable as he appeared to ponder the statement. The man had a poker face like a brick wall. Even the smug "I know something that you don't" gleam in his eyes failed to reveal anything. Seth shivered. They were right: Nebris was not to be trusted.  
   
Nebris leaned forward again and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. His eyes flickered towards Seth's sword, looking thoughtful as he spoke. "Ah, yes. I think I know what meeting you're talking about. Weren't they planning on delaying it until they had more info?" He shook his head. "Never mind. That's not important. What is, is that this meeting is happening tonight and surprisingly, enough people have been called in for you to end up stuck here. I think you know more than you're telling me…  
   
The man was definitely fishing for secrets, Seth decided. He had couple of choices now: play along and feed the man answers he was bound to already know, or play hard to get and try and worm out some answers of his own. After all, he didn't exactly find it fair to be kept entirely in the dark about most of the goings on. He gave Nebris his own innocently duplicitous smile and said, "how about a trade: a question for a question. You can't be the one to get  _all_  the fun around here."  
   
"Sounds fair to me," Nebris nodded.  
   
Too easy. Seth eyed him again, carefully deliberating his words. He really didn't have anything to give away, and Nebris surely had to know that. "H-"  
   
Nebris was quick to interrupt. "Where are you keeping the key- No, don't answer that," he said, sending Seth a conspiratorial glance, his voice full of mirth. "But seriously, why the rush for the meeting? Why not wait to invite little old me?"  
   
The man was like a snake: every part wicked humour and cunning, but what did he have to gain from asking that? Of all the things he could have asked…  
   
"What?" Nebris interjected. "No need to look at me like that. I'm not all Mr. Evil Bad Guy all the time. Innocent, see?" He held up his hands, the heavy chain scraping against the concrete.  
   
Seth clasped and unclasped his hands. Wind whistled faintly under the door. "A nightman. It attacked."  
   
Nebris shot up, eyes lighting the space before him like rich violet torches. "I told them," he said, voice nothing but a hoarse whisper. "I told them, but they didn't listen." Outside, leaves rustled against the footpath and the trees shivered with the setting sun. The very air seemed to hum.  
   
"A storm's coming," he said. Shadows trembled in the corners of the room. The earth rumbled as an ear-splitting crack filled the sky with brilliant lightning. Then, it was gone. Nebris’ grin turned lazy, seemingly unaware of what had transpired. "Your turn."  
   
A thunderous drumming of rain began to drown out his thoughts.  
   
"One question," Nebris reminded.  
   
He took a deep breath. There was nothing that could possibly go wrong. "What on earth is going on here?!"  
   
"Magic."  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
The rain poured relentlessly around them, but under the shelter of the community hall, the meeting continued. Everyone gathered around the crackling hearth, listening as Guude's voice echoed along the stone walls. Beyond the confines of the compound, thunder growled and the storm raged. The night churned like pitch, seemingly endless.  
   
"As you've all heard, the other night one of us made an important discovery. I know rumours have been circling, and the circumstances of this meeting are grim ones, but what Pyro found just over a week ago is groundbreaking. We've been looking, and looking, and I think we've finally done it. I think we've found what we've been searching for." Guude was met with silence, every eye on him. Thoughts of Shree still raged with turmoil in the back his mind—in everyone's minds. But he knew, if left unchecked, the ache and the sorrow would weigh him down like a ball of lead. And this breakthrough: it could fix everything. No more nightmen, no more death, no more answers.  
   
The only thing he ever wanted was answers.  
   
Pyro, beckoned forward, took his place on the podium. His hands lingered in his jacket pockets and his eyes flicked over the crowd. "What I- What I found," he began, "was a portal. I was out heading north and scouting for caves when I found it: this hollow rectangle of obsidian. At first I thought it was just another lava pool formation, but it popped and it burbled. There was this purple… this purple  _stuff_  inside it. Like a pane of glass made out of weird, purple water. I touched it. It was warm. It was…" Pyro lingered on his words, trying to describe the indescribable. "It was incredible."  
   
In a sweep of green, Guude stepped forward, recapturing their attention. "I think this is it. This portal - it's got to be our way out of here. I can feel it. For so long I've had so many questions. Who are we? Why are we here? What is this place? But this has to be it. Finally, answers. In this sombre time we will mourn, but we will also celebrate. The end is coming. Not all is lost. We will survive!"  
   
Thunder cracked. Lightning arced across the sky. Rain poured across the plain, blanketing the world in a sheet of watery white. Shadows flickered and flashed, faster than the blink of an eye. And in the distance, violet peered through the night.  
   
This was just the beginning.  
   
~ ~ ~


	6. Into the Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to silvercheers for the beta job. <3

The rain fell ceaselessly, coating the plains in an impenetrable white haze. Cold seeped into their skin, and it looked as though they were peering at the outside world through frosted glass. But, soaked by the downpour, the group stood united at the foot of Pyro’s obsidian monstrosity. It burned with an entrancing purple fire, and the air around it steamed and warped inexplicably.

They were scared, nervous, and fidgeting in their iron armour, but most of all, they were desperately awed. This was their hope. This was their opportunity.

And now was the time to seize it.

Guude stood at the head of the group, sword sticking from the mud like a staff. All eyes were upon him; their group of six, impervious to the rain, stood proud and ready. Determination, like a cleansing breath, broke through the flood of turbid emotions. They had been waiting for this. All of them.

Seth stood at the back, sword at his side and helmet cradled in his arms. Water dripped from the bridge of his nose. He stared and the sky, then at the grass. Of all those around him, he felt the least prepared. Only in the late of the evening before, among the flurry of the bustling compound and the storm, had he been asked to join the group of adventurers braving the portal.

This portal: it could mean so many things to him. Freedom? Memory? Home? Seth had only just wound up in this world. He hadn't had the time to think about what leaving it would mean. Guude, Zisteau, Pyro, Bdubs, and BTC: those here today were all determined to find a way ‘back home’. Others doubted their cause and said they were stuck here forever. But they refused to believe that. 

"Everyone ready?" Guude asked, his voice booming across the mud-stained landscape. Silent nods met his determined gaze. This was it, no backing out now. "Then let's go."

The party exhaled as a whole, and Guude stepped into the portal. A violet glow encased his form, and in a blink he was gone.

Seth blinked. The eight who remained faltered as the reality of what they were about to do set in. Wind swept through the plain, icy fingers curling under the confines of sodden armour. Then, time leapt forward again, and the remaining group began to surge forward. Seth watched as, one-by-one, they disappeared into the purple haze.

Then, he was up.

The portal loomed above him like a nightman daring him to look, waiting to strike. He swallowed. Eyes closed, he took a step forward into the glowing abyss.

The first thing he noticed was the heat. It was burning and all-encompassing, filling his lungs with a heavy weight and pressing into his skin. His sodden clothes stuck to him like a second skin and his armour began to grow warm to the touch. Then, he opened his eyes.

Around him was red—a brilliant, burnt red stretching in every direction—and above, light pierced through the hot darkness from brilliant clusters of yellow stone. It was entrancing. It was breathtaking. Seth knew it wasn't home.

He wiped his eyes and placed his helmet upon his head. The rest of the group were already gathered, taking stock of their surroundings. A few blocks ahead, a pool of lava flowed stiffly from a crack within the burgundy stone. They had clustered around it, many drying their clothes in the crisp heat.

Guude stood atop a small peak, watching over the group, and Seth joined him. The view was alien, but splendid: an identical obsidian portal, framed by a landscape of sheer red cliffs and overhands, and curling dark caves embedded in the walls. It was nothing like what he had expected, even if Seth hadn't really known what to expect in the first place.

"So?" he breathed, lungs burning on the hot air. "This is it?"

Guude continued to take in the landscape. "It's something alright…"

"Yeah- But what now?" Go back? Go home? It was a discovery, but it was just as much a failure. This wasn’t what they were looking for. 

Guude cracked his knuckles. His assumptions were wrong. This wasn't the hope he had preached, nor the answers he had searched for so diligently. He took a steadying breath and said, "We explore."

And so they did.

The group of six ventured across the seemingly abandoned landscape, leaving behind a trail of grey stones as a beacon home. With sweat-smeared faces and armour weighing down their limbs, they travelled a good several hundred blocks before there was any noticeable change in the landscape.

In the distance, rising between a bed of gravity-defying gravel and a sheer drop into a lake of lava, a dark red structure rose from the ground. It was clearly engineered. The weary group began to hum with excitement, their trudging paces speeding up as they approached. 

Seth wiped his brow, coming to a full jog to keep in line with the group. People? It had to be other people. They were not alone! The sentiment echoed among the group, and hearts racing, they sprinted towards the structure. 

It grew ever-more impressive as they approached, its spires of dark red brick rising high into the cavern. People! Other people had to have done this. They'd survived in this barren land and built a fortress. They had to! Unless they had found a portal just like them. Another camp- another colony of people living in this world. Answers! If they'd found this place and done all this. They had to know more.

The group stopped where stone met gravel, marvelling at the structure before them. "What do ya think, guys?" Guude said.

"I think I can't believe my eyes," said Bdubs, voice full of awe and wonder. 

Guude gave his friend a friendly slap on the back. "I think we explore this baby!"

Cheers resounded from the group, and behind them, as if to join in, an ear-piercing screech filled the air.

In an instant, they all turned, frantically searching the landscape before them. The ground was still barren—an uninhabited lifeless plain of burning heat and red. Seth drew his sword and his comrades followed. 

A whiz, and a crack just before them, and the ground burst into a crater of fire. They raised their swords, but still, nothing in sight. Guude barked orders and the group arranged themselves into a back-to-back formation. Another whiz, and this time Seth could follow the path of the small projectile, tracing back to its source.

Another garbled screech like a drowning scream. Seth stared up at the writhing white mass as it hovered far above them. "Look," he breathed, sword weakly pointing at the horrendous sight. The creature stared at them with a distorted face and a mass of tentacles. They stared back, hearts pounding and mouths agape.

It screamed again, spitting a projectile down towards them. They split, jumping out of the way as another fiery crater opened where they had just stood.

"Run?" Zisteau asked.

"Run." Bdubs confirmed.

As a group, they moved, sprinting towards the safety of a nearby cave.

Seth stayed frozen, staring at the creature floating above him. He'd never seen anything like it in his life. Voices called from behind him, urging him to run. His feet remained planted, paralysed by awe and terror.

The creature growled, then spit again. Seth was a sitting duck, his sword raised in a half-witted defence. The projectile sped towards him, unstoppable.

It was BTC, unseen by Seth's locked gaze, who came sprinting through the hazy red to jump in front of him, sword drawn. In a blur of iron, there was a sharp ping. Suddenly, the projectile was rocketing away, back towards the unholy fusion of ghost and tentacles above them.

The creature screeched again, this time in a mangled cry of fear as its own weapon impacted. It burst into a fiery rain, dissolving to dust as its final scream echoed through the cavern.

BTC picked himself up from where he’d landed on the floor, dusting red dirt from his armour. He seemed unscathed. "You alright there?" he asked.

Seth nodded slowly, sword still held limply in his hand. BTC gave him a pat on the shoulder and beckoned for the others to come back out. Seth blinked, staring at his hands, which, he noted somewhat distantly, had progressed from uselessly numb to quivering faintly. "We shouldn't be here," he said. In the flurry of the group reassembling, his voice remained unheard.

The party carried on, Seth lingering at the back, still shaken by the encounter. With Guude at the head, the group re-approached the fortress with cautious steps. Excitement still buzzed in the background, but the monstrous creature from the sky lingered in their minds as they built their way up to the fortress.

In silence, they broke through the fortress wall and stepped into a long hall. The carefully carved, maroon bricks reminded Seth of blood, and a sense of foreboding built. He peered over his shoulder as he entered the hall. As an afterthought, he placed a single stone behind him, then turned to the group.

They chattered softly, taking a moment to regroup themselves after the attack. The plain fortress seemed safe enough. Despite their earlier predictions, so far there was no other sign of life. The structure appeared well-kept but was otherwise abandoned.

Seth watched Bdubs give Guude, who was looking worse for the wear, an encouraging smile. Guude shrugged it off and began re-organising the party.

It was decided that they would head to the left, continuing to leave a trail of stone behind them. They were to stick together and keep on their guard. The array of halls branching off from the corridor looked awfully intimidating. It would be only too easy to get lost.

After a while of wandering carefully through the red halls, hopes were dimming. All they'd found was a small patch of red root-like flowers growing from a pit of coarse, heavy sand. Eventually, they stumbled upon a single chest filled with a scrap of rotten flesh and an old strip of leather. Still no people. Still no portal.

Guude declared the place to be abandoned, a false lead. Time to go home. The constant heat and the heavy armour were wearing them down and they were running low on supplies. With a sense of defeat, they began to retrace their steps through the fortress, shoulders hunched and heads low.

Seth gave the empty corridor behind them a lingering glance, before breaking into a jog to catch up with the rest of the group.

Two corners later, and several blocks ahead, the group stumbled into disarray as Guude halted them in the hall. Seth bumped into the person in front of him before getting a glimpse at the trouble ahead.

At the end of the hall, three tall, dark shadows lingered. Nightmen- No. Something else. They were too thin and their forms were coloured charcoal grey—far too light to be one of the shadowy creatures they had come to fear.

Each held a single stone sword, and their skeletal forms rattled as they guarded their post, blocking the group’s only path back the way they came. Guude drew his sword, as did the others. "Looks like we're fighting these bitches," he said, a grim lit to his words. Those around him nodded.

"They're just like bigger, badder skellies without the bows," said Pyro. "We can take them."

Seth gave a nervous laugh. He'd seen the skeletons mentioned lingering beyond the fence of the compound at night. Their bones rattled and they held their bows poised with empty, lifeless eyes. He shuddered. These grey monstrosities were taller, their large skulls almost brushing the fortress' ceiling.

Ever-eager, Pyro skipped forward. "Come at me mate!" he yelled, sword raised to strike. Guude and BTC followed behind, heading for the other two skeletons. 

They fought with skilled hits and precise dodges. BTC took his down swiftly, its bones pulling apart as it clattered to the floor. Guude, an almost as equally skilled fighter, took his down shortly after.

Pyro, sweat dripping from his nose, found himself locked in a stalemate of swords. His arms shook and his fingers readjusted on the hilt of his blade. The skeleton pushed back with unnatural strength, but before he could falter, Pyro retaliated with a lunge, gaining some ground.

Metal ground against sharpened stone, and the blades slipped. Seeing Pyro's struggle, Guude darted in to assist. The skeleton swung its blade at Pyro, but just before it made contact Guude brought his own sword forward into a block. Iron clanged against stone and Pyro yelped as the skeleton’s blade sliced across his exposed arm, Guude's block knocked aside by the sheer force of the skeleton’s blow. 

Taking advantage of the skeleton’s momentary opening, Pyro severed its spine in a single sweep. It clattered to the floor in a heap of bone and Pyro grinned triumphantly. "Just a scratch," he announced, holding up his bleeding arm. He stumbled as he took a step forward but laughed it off.

The path clear, they made their way out of the fortress and started heading back home.

As they trekked, Pyro stuck to the back of the group and Seth helped patch up his arm. Pyro gave him a warm smile, and Seth did his best to smile back weakly. Despite the 'scratch', the man was looking paler than usual, and although he did a fairly good job of hiding it, Seth caught him stumbling a few times more.

"You alright?" he asked.

Pyro just smiled and shrugged it off. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Seth contemplated saying something to the others but Pyro insisted that he could take care of himself. Leaving the man to his own devices, Seth let his mind wander as they made their way back to the portal…   
"Home," Guude announced, staring up at the obsidian structure before them. The purple fire burned less brilliantly in the ambient red light. This time it seemed calming—welcoming almost. With renewed energy the group passed through the portal’s purple haze, arriving back in the muddy plain where they had left.

A light drizzle of rain hit Seth's face as he stepped into the cool air. He breathed in deeply, revelling in the damp rush of breeze. Everything seemed so much lighter out here, and with a laugh, some of his comrades flopped down on the grass.

From his usual position at the head of the group, Guude breathed a sigh of relief. "That was something, alright," he said to no-one in particular. Beside him, Bdubs nodded. The two looked out across the plain towards the compound, the mid-afternoon sun beginning to peek through the clouds. "That sure was something."

Behind the portal, away from the group, Pyro keeled over a rock. Coughs wracked his body and sweat still dripped from his brow. Unnoticed by the others, he coughed again, throwing up on the grass below him. He gasped in the fresh air and wiped his uninjured arm across his mouth. Straightening himself out, he put on a brave face and re-joined the group.

Seth laid down on the muddy grass, armour half unbuckled. He smiled a little and let out a sigh. He was glad to be going back to the compound. He was glad to be going home.

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to show your love if you enjoyed.
> 
> Anyhow, what are your thoughts so far? Have any of you concocted any theories on what's happening? What about Pyro? He wasn't seeming all too well after the trip to the nether...


	7. Breathing Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was last month? What kind of blasphemy is this? Isn't sunset supposed to only post a chapter once every couple of centuries? Anyhow, things cool down a bit after last chapter. Enjoy!

" _Just because the portal gave us more questions than anything, that doesn't mean it gave us nothing. We may now have better avenues to explore  for the moment, but the portal was a lead nonetheless and we're not gonna forget that._ "

It had been several weeks since the party of six had stumbled, tired and weary, from the strange obsidian portal. In spite of the discovery, the rain had eventually petered out and life had gone on as usual. No gains, no loses. Another average day in the Mindcrack camp, and for the while, everything was just fine.

In the meantime, Seth had been finally found a place in the compound's ever-busy daily roster.

His assigned task for today was caving for ore, alongside Guude, Beef, and Etho. Holed up in a quiet corner, the group took stock of their gear while Guude discussed the happenings of the compound. From what Seth had heard,  Kurt was digging into a new lead he'd come across in his mapping of the area, but everything was still rather hush hush.

Etho hummed in agreement at Guude's comments, stuffing his final bit of gear into his pack.

"Go time?" Guude asked, interrupting his own tangent.

"Go time," the others agreed. And as if someone had flicked a switch, the stiff all-business air that filled the stone hollow was gone.

"Winner takes it all!" Beef exclaimed, bolting for the cave entrance. The others were quick to follow, all scrambling to get first dibs on the ores inside.

"And you know I'm the winner!" Etho said, running to take the lead.

"You wish you were," Seth grinned, making a daring leap from a ledge to catch up with Beef. This was a competition, after all, and Seth was never one to lose…

A good hour later, the group took a break in a small offshoot, their packs now bursting with ore. Panting, Seth leant against the cold stone wall while Guude unbuckled his armour near a stream of fresh water . On the other side of the cave, Beef and Etho playfully quibbled over the legitimacy of Beef's last piece of ore.

"Good game, huh?" said Seth. He pulled off his helmet and slid down the wall, his gains clinking loudly in his pack.

"Says you, Mr. Twenty-Two Diamonds In One Day ," Guude snorted. "If I had your luck, I'd be the richest man alive!"

"Hey. Better than being the richest man dead," Seth retorted.

Guude threw a small rock at him, a jovial twinkle in his eye. "At least you don't play like Nebris. That guy cheats like there's no tomorrow."

At the mention of his friend's name, Etho glanced over at the pair. His forehead creased and his banter with Beef was quickly forgotten. Seth looked up at him from where he sat, raising an eyebrow. "How is the guy, anyway?" Seth asked. "I haven't seen him since that time you put me on guard duty."

Something in Etho's expression flickered, but he made no move to interject.

"He's doing alright. Still a little left from centre, though. Last I heard he was babbling about 'the end'  or something. All doom and gloom with that guy. We're still trying to get a vote together to let him out of that cell of his, but half of the compound is still pretty darn set on keeping him in." Guude shrugged, like he’d been defeated on the matter. He'd made it well and truly clear that he wasn’t  comfortable with keeping the man caged up like that, but the community was built on trust and democracy: something Guude wasn't willing to sacrifice.

Seth nodded. "Fair enough."

Beef, now free from Etho's teasing, came and joined them. Seth cupped his hands in the stream and took a drink before splashing some water over his face. Guude finished taking off his armour and began counting his collection of ores.

The ensuing silence was somewhat unnerving, and Beef was quick to fill it. "Speaking of people we haven't seen in a while, what's up with Pyro? Last I saw of him was when you guys returned from the portal."

Guude rested his cheek on his hand and glanced over at Seth. He sighed. "I've got no idea what that fucker's gotten himself. He's been sick ever since we got back and the healing pots have done nothing. The darn guy even tried to hide it and argh-" His other arm jerked to the back of his head before sliding down to cover his neck. "JSano's been looking into it with a bit of help from Kurt. He says it'll pass."

"It'll be fine," Beef said with a slightly strained smile.

"Yeah," Seth added. "Nightmen excluded, it's not like anyone else has gone and died on us… right?"

Guude gave a stilted laugh and scratched the side of his neck.

Seth opened his mouth to speak, but when he looked up, Guude had already gone back to taking stock of his loot. The cave returned to silence, bar the clattering of rocks and the gentle whisper of air through the caverns. Shortly after, they gathered their belongings and began the trek home.

~ ~ ~

Seth marvelled at the trees around him, twisting and arching towards the sky. Green intertwined with green in the canopy above, creating a cool sanctuary speckled by pools of sunlight breaking between the leaves. It was peaceful. It was quiet. It was breathtakingly different to the scenery he'd been lost among on his first night here. Without the threat of flickering shadows and a sinking sun, it was actually quite beautiful.

As the four of them made their way back to the compound, Seth accompanied Guude at the back of the group. The green-eyed man had seemed distracted ever since they'd made their way out of the cave. Enough so that it took several taps on the shoulder to finally grab his attention.

"What's up?" Seth asked.

Guude looked away from his current favourite point of empty space  and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Nothin'," he said.

"Not even the sky?" Seth nudged him with a shoulder, face lit with a small smile.

"Nope."

"But seriously, what's up, man?. And 'nothing' isn't a valid response."

Guude offered him a thin-lipped smile in return. "Okay, fine. Valid response, sure."

"Guude..."

"Alright, guy, no need to nag. I've just been thinking about things."

"What things?" Seth asked.

Guude sighed. "I dunno. I've just been thinking about some of the things people have been asking me."

"Like what's going on with Pyro?" Seth raised an eyebrow, pushing past a stray low-lying branch as he walked.

"Yeah. Kinda like that. They want answers. And as the leader of this place, they expect them from me. Rightfully so, I mean. It's just- It's just they want answers and I- I ain't got none," Guude admitted. He stared at the trampled greenery below him. "You see what I mean?"

Seth nodded. "Yeah. I think so." He thought for a moment before continuing. "But is it really right for everyone to expect all these answers from you? You're in the same position as the rest of them anyway, aren't you? You woke up here just the same. ‘Leader’ is just a title anyway."

"Yeah, but-" Guude bit off the rest of his argument, the forest breaking into an open plain just ahead.

"Don't stress, okay?" said Seth.

Guude nodded.

Eyes on watch, the group exited the confines of the forest and began the final stretch to the compound. Behind them, the sun began to dip below the canopy of the trees, setting the sky alight in a blaze of orange. They continued on, cool wind nipping at their heels.

Seth looked out at the grassy plain before them. The forest formed a wide ring around the natural clearing, and the compound sat on the edge of the opposite side, roughly twenty blocks from the forest's easterly border. Seth shivered, remembering his first night spent sprinting through the undergrowth. Darkness crawled  in through the backdrop of green. The wind whispered between them. They picked up their pace.

In the shadow of the compound, Seth saw purple eyes glinting. He blinked, and they were gone. The sun dipped further below the horizon.

Several minutes behind the others, Guude and Seth arrived at the gate just as the last of the light faded from the world. Leaves crunched and bones cracked in the darkness behind them, and as the gate shut with a reassuring thud, a familiar sound cracked through the air. It sounded as if the world had split, wind rushing to fill the void.

Beyond the safety of the fence, the creature croaked its garbled cry. Seth looked at Guude from the corner of his eye. The blond man remained stoic and steely-eyed. "Don't worry, we're safe now," he said to Seth.

He was right. No one had ever been taken from within the confines of the compound. Everything was lit and nothing could get past the high-reaching fence built around their settlement. They were safe now. No need to worry. Seth released a frigid breath. _Everything will be fine._

Only in the confines of the dining hall, surrounded by the flickering light of torches and the familiar hum of chatter did Seth move his hand from where it had been resting on the hilt of his sword. Despite the apparent safety, a certain stillness permeated the air. Eyes flickered to Guude as the man entered behind him. Some looked down, others made no effort to hide their stony expressions.

From the back of the hall, BTC stood up. The chatter came to a starting halt. Voice level and expression taught, BTC announced, "We need to talk."

~ ~ ~

"You want to _what_!?" Guude paced  in front of the burning hearth of the mostly-empty community hall. In the front row, BTC, Bdubs, and several others sat, taking part in the conversation. Seth, surprisingly invited along by BTC, sat alone in the row behind. The air was just as thick as that of the dining hall. Seth looked around nervously; this wasn't his fight.

"In your defence, Guude, I think they’re crazy too," Bdubs said, arms crossed and eyes weary.

BTC shot him a dangerous look, but kept his words calm and even. "Look, we've talked with the others so we know things aren't going to change. It's 'my way or the highway' around here, and frankly, we don't like how things are being run here anymore."

Looking a little worse for the wear, Millbee cleared his throat. "Shree's gone, Pyro's infected with who-knows-what, and you keep telling us to stay put like rats in cages while _nothing_ is done to stop Nebris or the nightmen. Both of which are actual problems that are affecting us right here, right now. How long are you going to spend chasing those fairy-tale portals of yours before more of us get hurt?"

"Millbee-" Guude began.

Millbee stood up, cutting him off. "What have your efforts brought us so far? Nothing. Nothing but misery and wasted effort." Visibly agitated, he wrung his hands and swallowed hard.

Guude, halted mid-pace, looked visibly pained by Millbee's words. "We're safe here— "

"—He's trying his best," said Seth.

"The nightmen attacks are getting worse. The mobs are swarming at night," BTC stated stonily.

"There's only so much we can do.  How many times can I save your asses before I'm the one who needs saving?" He gave Seth a pointed look: ' _you shouldn't be on his side_.'

"Like you'll be any safer out there," Guude spat. He ran a hand through his hair and resumed his pacing.

BTC turned to Seth. "Are you okay with this? You’d barely been here a week when Guude’s little adventure through that portal almost had you killed. Is that the kind of leadership you want to live under?"

Seth shifted nervously in his seat. He'd been living here for a couple of months now, but he was still very much the 'new kid'. He was still finding his place here. He didn't want to be a part of this. He sighed. "Guude's right. Better in than out," he said, voice wavering.

"Better in than out," Bdubs echoed. He turned around and gave Seth a smile. It didn't make him feel any better.

"We'd rather out than be sitting ducks," Millbee said. "If nothing changes, we're leaving."

 

Expression unreadable, Guude spoke again. "Then I'm not going to stop you."

"Good."

Guude stared, arms folded, as the others left. Bdubs stayed dutifully and Seth remained, unsure what to do. Guude fell into the chair beside his friend as he rubbed his face. Bdubs placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Seth," Guude finally said, voice croaking, "thank you. I know you’re still new here and a decision like that must be hard on you, but I appreciate you for sticking with us, especially since I know BTC wanted you to go with them."

"This is my home now," Seth said with more certainty. "And even if it wasn't, you're right. We're safe here."

"But am I doing the right thing by letting them go?"

"You're doing your best and that's all that matters."

~ ~ ~


	8. From The Journal II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen, and other esteemed readers, what is this? Two chapters at once?!?!?!?! HAPPY MARATHON EVERYONE. Survival Saga is now officially the longest work of fiction I've ever written. WOO. Thanks to silver for being my beta as always, and enjoy!

Day 338, Entry 1.  
_Another one dead. We were out in a cave looking for more iron and I just don't know much longer I can take it. There was this unidentifiable box, like a cage. Inside it was some sort of deformed mockery of a skeleton, sparking with ice-cold flame. There were too many skeletons — I couldn't save him. ~~It's my fault. I should have been fast enough.~~  There was nothing I could do. Are those things intelligent? What on earth could have built a perfect cobble cube like that? What is this place? Too many questions. Not enough answers.  
   
Why?_  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 338, Entry 2.  
_We buried Alcemedes this afternoon. Three arrows straight to the chest. He was gone before we even made it out of the cave. He's the third one we've lost. I'm starting to feel like this place is cursed, that every damned man who crosses into this camp is destined to die.  
   
I think I've finally figured out what this place is supposed to be: a punishment. I've done something terrible in my past life and this is how the universe has chosen to punish me. Well, good job, Universe. Consider me adequately punished. Fuck you, too.  
   
If there were a way to sigh in writing, I'd be doing it right now. I just don't know what to do anymore. New people keep arriving and since I was the first one here, they all come to me for answers, but I aint got none and it makes me feel so useless. Three men have died on my watch and I just don't know anymore. I just don't know._  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 340, Entry 1.  
_We went back down to the cobble box with a team of 5 today. Thankfully, everybody made it back alive and mostly unharmed. Kurt concluded that there's a direct link between the cage and the amount of skeletons around. When we get far enough away, it stops sparking and no more skeletons appear. Lighting it up also stops the skeletons from appearing. So, it mostly reacts like any other dark space.  
   
I tried breaking the thing with a stone pick. It took a moment, but it worked. It was later suggested that we could have kept it and rigged it up to try and harvest the bones and arrows from the skeletons. I think it's far too dangerous. Knock out one wrong torch and whoever's down there is a goner. We learned that the first time I went down there.  
   
Strangely enough, there was also a chest there. There wasn't much in it. Just a pile of bones and stale bread. Unless these skeletons really are intelligent, someone must have stumbled across it before and just never told anyone. The cave wasn’t lit, but that doesn't mean anything if someone like Pause had quickly ducked in to collect some coal. I haven't asked Pause about it yet, but I still think it's pretty darn weird._  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 356, Entry 1.  
_It's official. Everyone sat and took a vote. It was their stupid decision, but apparently I'm their leader now. To be fair, they already looked to me for what to do before; nothing's really gonna change. It's just bona fide now. Mr Guude Boulderfist leader of the Mindcrack camp in Notch knows what this place is.  
   
At least our potato farm's coming into harvest. I was already sick of bread and carrot a good 300 days ago.  
   
In other news, Kurt wrote a goddamned thesis on nightmen. I don't know how. I don't know why. But he did it. The damn guy wrote an all-out 50 page thesis on nightmen. How does one even write that many pages on them? How? Description, teleporting habits, general behaviour, even the damn noises they make; he's documented everything. The man deserves a medal or something.  
 _  
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 432, Entry 1.  
_Nebris went out exactly five hours ago. He was due back exactly two hours ago. BTC thinks I'm overreacting, but I'm sending out a search team. We can't lose another one. I don't know what I'd do if we did.  
 _  
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 432, Entry 2.  
_It's almost dark. The search team's back. Nebris isn't. The cave he was meant to be in wasn't even lit. I'm expecting the worst. I don't know how I'm going to get any sleep tonight. Bdubs says everything'll be fine and he's probably just holed up somewhere to keep safe for the night. He knows its bullshit. I know its bullshit. It's not that I don't appreciate what he's doing, but why even bother?  
   
Nebris ~~was~~ is the oldest idiot besides me who's still alive in this hellhole. You'd think he'd be smart enough to not go out and get himself injured—or even worse, killed—in some hole out in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to think about it.  
   
Everything will be fine and he'll be back in the morning. He's just holed himself up for the night to keep safe from the mobs. He's smart. He'll make it back. I'm sure he will. If only I could actually believe that._  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 434, Entry 1.  
_It's official. I made the announcement: Nebris is dead. A nightman has taken him and there's not a single thing we can do. He's not back here. There's no body. I want to stab the gangly, inhuman bastards. I don't know whether to be sad or angry or frustrated or what. I just want to go out and kill some zombies. 'Cause that'll definitely make me feel better, right? Should we even hold a funeral? It's not like we've got anything to bury.  
 _  
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 446, Entry 1.  
_The damned no good dirty cheating son of a bitch I fucking want to strangle him. Aaaargh. Two weeks. Two. Fucking. Weeks. I know I should be thankful or something but has he any idea what he put us through?! We fucking mourned him and everything. Fucking hell, man.  
   
In other words, Nebris is alive and he refuses to tell us anything.  
   
I don't even know what to think. He just wandered into camp, like it was any other day. But his eyes — they're not the same. They're this twisted, glowing purple, like he's been touched by one of those Notch-forsaken nightmen. I'm more worried than anything. The others are demanding a tribunal.  
 _  
~ ~ ~  
   
Day 447, Entry 1.  
_Nebris has still been pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing. The only thing we're certain of is that he was, in fact, taken by a nightman. But he's alive and here and I still can't believe it._  
   
The others are worried. Some don't think he's the real Nebris. They still want a tribunal. So tonight, we're gonna put it to a vote. They don't trust him, so they want him locked up like some sort of pet mob. We might not know what's going on right now, but I still think he's the real Nebris.  
   
Etho says that as the leader I could probably veto this if I wanted to, but I don't think that's right. As much as the title's officially mine, it's just as much their compound too. I may not like it, but if they don't feel safe then it's in our best interest to fix that. (I really hate to think of Nebris as a problem that needs to be 'fixed', though.)  
   
Whatever's going on, I hope it'll pass.  
   
~ ~ ~  
   
“Did Guude send you down here as a guard dog? Does he think I’m dangerous or something? That I’m cooking up some evil plot to take over this place and murder you all?” Nebris sneered, fiddling with the length of chain that ran from his ankle to the centre of the room, barely two blocks long and annoyingly cold and rough.  
   
Etho barked out a laugh, sitting down several blocks away from Nebris with his back turned to him in a solid wall of indifference. He was here to watch and wait, having no business chit-chatting with Nebris. His only task was to make sure nothing unusual happened and that no-one was in danger of getting hurt. “Something like that,” he said, staring at the grimy stone wall ahead.  
   
The minutes ticked by agonisingly slowly. Etho stared at the wall, tracing cracks with his eyes and counting the more prominent pockmarks that marred the length of the wall. He shifted uncomfortably, fingers drumming in a simple pattern on his knees. He changed positions again, counted the seconds until he tired of that, and went back to staring aimlessly at the wall. Nebris remained silent behind him. Nothing but the soft whistle of the wind escaped through the cracks in the only door to the room, barely filling the silence.   
   
The minutes couldn’t pass by fast enough. Despite his earlier thoughts, that he wasn't here to socialise with Nebris, it was almost a physical relief when Nebris broke the silence around them.  
   
“Tell me, Etho, the others may think I’m dangerous, but what about you? Do you think I’m dangerous?”  
   
Etho turned around, scooting a little closer. He looked Nebris in those glowing violet eyes of his and studied his expression, taking a moment to ponder the question. Did he really think Nebris was dangerous? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that Nebris got taken by a nightman and survived, albeit not unscathed. Nebris might refuse to say anything about his encounter, but Etho assumed he had his reasons. The question lingered in the air, the tension echoing in the sound of each measured breath. “Yes,” Etho finally said, “I think you’re dangerous.”  
   
“Why?” Nebris asked.  
   
Etho never responded, instead turning back to face the wall. They stayed like that, silent and on edge, until a sharp rattle on the door pulled them from their thoughts. Etho rose mechanically and opened the door, exchanging soft words with the person on the other side before leaving, to be replaced by Generik who greeted Nebris with a harsh scowl and a deliberate wave of his diamond sword — which Nebris now remembered that Etho had distinctly lacked.  
   
~ ~ ~


	9. Event Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to my super awesome beta Silvercheers (aka flyingsquirrely) for helping make something shiny out of my terribly messy drafts.
> 
> Also, Things are happening!!!! Things with a capital T. If you guys have any theories or thoughts or suspicions on what you think's gonna happen then comment comment comment. I wanna hear all your thoughts.
> 
> I also haven't forgotten about Pyro either. He'll get his turn soon enough. Don't you worry your pretty faces. I'm sure _everything_ will be just fine.
> 
> P.S. Sassy Nebris is best Nebris.

It was raining again. Lightning crackled in the distance, filling the sky with stunning purple light. Smoke wafted above the far edges of the forest. Seth shivered, hunkering under his coat as he patrolled the edges of the compound. The wind mimicked the haunting howls of zombies and cracking branches snapped like bones. It had been like this for days.  
  
Seth raised a hand to shelter his face from the rain, his eyes sweeping over the horizon. Creatures peeked out from between the far-off trees, eyeing the compound like the starving predators they were, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.  
  
It was a pointless gesture, but Seth held up his sword and sliced it through the air: ' _stay back_ ,' he thought. They blinked their cold, lifeless eyes, unmoving from the forest's edge. Seth lowered his sword and continued walking along the compound's fence.  
  
He was almost done. Only one more sweep around the edges of the compound, then he'd be out of the icy rain and into the shelter and warmth of his own home. After three months of sharing with Baj, Seth and a few others had finally managed to put together a small cobble house for him within the confines of the compound. It was ten by eight blocks in size and only held a bed, a bathroom, a dresser, and a few other bare necessities, but it had a small fireplace and kept out the wind and rain. It wasn't much, but for Seth it was more than enough.  
  
Daydreaming about getting out of the rain, Seth continued his patrol. The mobs were mostly subdued and he hadn't run into any trouble so far. Despite the rain, it seemed like it was going to be a relatively easy shift, for once. Healing wounds along his arm reminded him of the last time he was on patrol and things _weren’t_  so quiet.  
  
**_CRAACK_**. The deafening sound of lightning arcing through the sky pulled him from his daydream. The very ground shook beneath his feet and an imprint of hazy white filled his vision. The smell of burnt earth assaulted his senses as he blinked away the blinding white. As if commanded by the heavens above, the rain petered to a stop.  
  
Seth rubbed his eyes, his vision fading from white to foggy grey. He blinked again, the image becoming darker. Confusion gnawed at the edge of his thoughts. Then, a bone-chilling, high pitched chirp sounded from above.  
  
He looked up.  
  
Purple: the kind caught in a paradox of a blinding violet glow and a dark void that seemed to eat at the edges of reality. A pair of bright, inhuman eyes stared him down. Panic. Heart-stopping, joint-locking, sense-numbing panic. Seth remained frozen, staring into the nightman's eyes.  
  
It tilted its head somewhat nonchalantly and burbled. It almost looked curious.  
  
Seth's grip tightened on his sword, his pulse thundering in his ears. Eyes glued to the nightman, he took one step back, then another. The creature looked away.  
  
Seth turned and ran.  
  
In an instant, a gurgling scream filled the air, bombarding Seth from every direction. It shattered the afternoon’s stillness, the sound filling him with a glacial chill. Mud splattered against his legs as he bolted across the grass. The air snapped and crackled as the creature warped in and out of existence.  
  
Seth looked up from the ground ahead to see the nightman racing towards him. Its jaws were locked open in a ghastly scream, teeth as black as night protruding cruelly from its wide mouth. Seth struggled to keep a hold of his rain-slick sword as he ran, and the creature disappeared with a burst of violet sparks.  
  
He yelped, otherworldly claws slicing effortlessly through his armour to rake down his back. Muddied grass began rushing toward him as he tripped and stumbled. He landed hard in the mud, the wind knocked out of him on impact. The air crackled and warped as the nightman disappeared and reappeared again.  
  
Seth reached for his sword as he rolled onto his back. He gasped for breath as the creature approached again, its purple eyes staring him down. Its piercing scream continued, its face locked in a rictus of all-encompassing rage. Seth stared back, panic and fear rushing through his veins.  
  
Thunder rumbled above, and the cold earth burned at his back. Violet light licked at the edges of his vision as the garbled scream faded to a staticky hum. Its gangly arms hung limply at its sides. The world appeared to distort around it and a numbness began to fill Seth's body.  
  
Beyond the piercing violet and the dark skin, Seth could feel it: an eternal nothingness leaking between the gaps of reality and calling him forward. Electricity thrummed through his body and the violet glow became almost blinding. Even so, he couldn’t help but to continue to stare, muddy and bruised and huddled on the ground as he was. The creature let out a wavering chirp. Thunder rumbled in the distance.  
  
Locked in the nightman's deathly gaze, something dripped against Seth's nose. Cold trickled along his skin, breaking through the numbness. More drops fell against his face. Another crack of thunder, and the rain resumed in a torrent of cold white. In that instant, something unknowable flashed in the nightman's eyes. Then, with a rush of air and a soft rumble, it was gone.  
  
Rain falling upon his face, and his chest rising with agitated breaths, Seth closed his eyes and reconsidered everything he'd ever known.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Nebris, we need to talk."  
  
Nebris greeted Seth with a wolfish grin. "Correction. _You_  need to talk. I on the other hand am under no such obligation."  
  
"I-"  
  
"But please, do try and tell me something I don't already know."  
  
Panting softly and dripping with rain and sweat, Seth stared at the shadow-cloaked Nebris with a look of bewilderment. "Pardon?"  
  
Nebris bit back a laugh as thunder echoed beyond the compound. The purple-eyed man radiated pure, unadulterated confidence. Even sitting, he looked tall and ominous: two violet points cast against a background of lanky shadow. Seth shivered.  
  
"You're here about the endermen," Nebris stated, leaning forward.  
  
Seth immediately wished he hadn't left his sword back at the armoury. It was stupid coming here. Guude didn't even know that he had taken the key. Complete and utter stupidity. But there was no backing out now. He had questions—ones Nebris undoubtedly knew the answer to—and he wouldn't be leaving until he got what he came for.  
  
"The nightmen, yes," said Seth, schooling his face into a mask of composure to hide his unease.  
  
Nebris' eyes darkened and a chill swept through the room. Seth cast a glance back at the door then down at the chain securing Nebris to the floor. He felt the urge to take a step back. A gut instinct screamed at him to run. Nebris quirked an eyebrow and threw him a knowing smile.  
  
"They showed me _everything_ , you know. You were meant for something too, unlike the others, but Guude and friends have already tamed you well and good. Taught you to fight, taught you to fear, haven't they." Nebris chuckled to himself, as if telling a joke no-one else understood. His voice then dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "But the end is the beginning. It's inevitable."  
  
In a mirror image of before, Seth stared, dumbfounded and bewildered. "I'm sorry, but what?"  
  
Nebris only laughed again. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. But if you're really that curious, a three days walk north, two days east, there's a large cobble pillar: ten blocks high and a torch on top. Dig straight down and bring arrows. You'll need them."  
  
"And why should I trust you?" Seth asked. He folded his arms and chewed at his lip.  
  
"It's simple: don't. Bring Guude, bring the others, bring the whole damn camp. It's what Guude's been looking for, after all."  
  
"What is?! Why do have to be so damn cryptic?"  
  
Nebris tilted his head and gave Seth an apologetic smile. "I think I'm done here. Sorry that it had to be you."  
  
With that, the single bulb fizzled and popped into darkness among a shower of sparks. Seth's breath hitched in his throat as panic began to rise within him. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. He cursed himself for not bringing a sword. It must have been Nebris. He was locked up here for a reason. The sound of clanking metal echoed from the floor and Seth searched frantically for the source. Nothing but darkness.  
  
He blinked and a shadow moved in the corner of his eye. Seth did the only thing he could: with a loud yell, Seth hurled himself blindly across the room at the source of the movement. He crashed against something warm and alive and they both crashed to the floor in a heap.  
  
"Nebris," he warned, as the man in question struggled beneath him. He held him down as best he could, still unable to make out more than the faint silhouette of the purple-eyed man.  
  
"I'm not staying here," Nebris protested.  
  
A knee jerked hard against his ribs and Seth grunted. He stayed his grip. "I don't think you have much choice in the matter," he growled. "Not anymore."  
  
"And you think this is right?"  
  
Another knee to the ribs, this one harder, desperate.  
  
"You're dangerous."  
  
"So?"  
  
Seth stilled at the question. No response came quick to his lips. Nebris took the opportunity to give him a hard shove, tipping his balance. He rolled, back slamming hard against the concrete, and Nebris scrambled to escape. Body aching, Seth reached out and grasped at Nebris leg. He tripped and Seth was upon him again, pinning him to the floor.  
  
"You're a danger to the compound," Seth breathed, panting hard.  
  
Nebris stared him down, eyes casting a violet glow across his features. "Am I?"  
  
Seth's response came delayed and ragged. "Y-yes." He tightened his hold. "You are."  
  
Cold and calculating, Nebris' eyes glinted. "Trust me," he said, words falling as a plea.  
  
"No."  
  
"Please."  
  
"No."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
A painfully bright purple light filled the room and once again Seth was blinded. The light burned hot like fire and Seth cried out in pain. He reached to cover his eyes and felt himself be thrown back and away from Nebris. Seth lay incapacitated as hinges squeaked in protest behind him. The door slammed shut with a clang, and the room was filled with an eerie silence in the wake of Nebris’ exit.  
  
Slowly, darkness replaced the swirl of colour behind his eyes. He blinked tentatively and sat up, pressing his back to the cold door. New bruises ached alongside his injuries from his encounter with the nightman. He gave them exploratory touches and hissed as they stung.  
  
In an aftershock of violet, images passed across his vision: ones pressed into his mind when he was at the mercy of the nightman. A void of static—an oxymoron of nothingness and limitless energy swirling together in a seemingly infinite mass; a structure, stone walls cracked and moss-ridden with disuse; a swirling portal in the form of a pool, dark as night and speckled with pinpricks of white—if it weren't for the cold stone above and below, he would thing it a reflection of the stars themselves; and two thoughts lingering across each image like an icy mist:  _End_. _Rebirth_.  
  
Something thumped hard against the door and Seth jumped, pulled from the visions. The sound was muffled, but Seth could hear it clearly enough.  
  
The voice was soft and calm. The words came as neither an accusation nor a plea, "I trusted you."  
  
The reply that came was gravelly and defeated, the words rasped out from between harsh breaths. "I know."  
  
"I should kill you. Guude told me to if you ever tried."  
  
"But you won't."  
  
"I know."  
  
A sigh, then the rattle of a door handle.  
  
Seth scooted away from the door and it opened with a protesting groan of hinges. Soft light flooded the room, forcing him to blink against the contrast. Two figures made their way into the room: Etho dragging Nebris through the doorway, the former holding a diamond sword to the latter’s throat. Etho's eyes were cold and unrevealing: a better poker face than Seth could ever hope to muster.  
  
Unlike before, Nebris didn't fight. He made no witty remarks and his lips were set in a thin line, no longer smirking so proudly. He looked disappointed, defeated almost. Seth thought back to the man's earlier comment. ' _And you think this is right?_ '  
  
The thought didn't linger as Etho's voice broke through the silence. "Get Guude."  
  
He picked himself up and ran.  
  
~ ~ ~


	10. Redshift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guude and Seth make their way to the portal, BTC puts out an offer, and Nebris is put on trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -eternal screaming-
> 
> I'll almost definitely be updating this again this time next week. Leave comments, ask questions, and join me in my pain. Also silver is a great beta so cheers to her (pun lol).

"Is Nebris always this cryptic with you, too?" Seth asked. He and Guude trudged through the thick jungle, the midday sun barely peeking between small breaks in the thick canopy above. This was their fifth day of walking since Nebris has left them with his vague instructions. While the walk itself wasn't particularly difficult, the tension back at the compound had been weighing on both of their minds and had made the past few days particularly arduous.

"Yup," said Guude. "When I first met him he wouldn't tell me his name for nearly a week. I was sure he was ready to start speaking in outright riddles by the time I managed to get it out of him."

"Really," said Seth, looking down at his compass for what was probably the tenth time that hour.

"Really. Even before the darn guy was _trouble_ , he was a real pain in the arse."

Even with his limited interaction with the purple-eyed man, Seth could imagine that. In all contexts, Nebris was quite the character. It wasn't hard to imagine that Nebris might actually enjoy all the attention his state of being had brought about him. If only his suave façade could dig himself out of the mess he'd managed to get himself into.

"What do you think's gonna happen to him?" Seth asked. The thought had been lingering in his mind since the beginning of the trip. The things he'd overheard Etho say hadn't exactly bolstered his confidence.

Guude’s reluctantly fond nostalgia gave way to a slight frown. This had clearly been bothering him too. "I'm not sure," he said. "It's a process we haven't put much thought into before, but we're set to put him on trial when we get back. I just hope the stupid fucker doesn't try to make a run for it again while we're gone. I've given the others kill on sight orders for if he tries. Honestly, I'm starting to think I may have misplaced my trust in him." He kicked at the dirt and greenery beneath his feet with a grunt of frustration.

"Yeah… Why would he send us out here? It doesn't make sense," said Seth.

"He's up to something. I can feel it."

"Should we have even gone out here, then?' Seth gave Guude a questioning look, a new hesitance in his step.

"No, no. I still trust him—for now. Gut feeling, you know."

"Gut feeling? Is that why you trust me so much?" asked Seth.

"Yup," Guude answered without hesitation. "Since the very first moment I saw you, I felt like trusting you was the right thing to do."

Seth eyed him thoughtfully. "Maybe you trust a little too much," he said mostly to himself.

The two continued on in silence, moving further into the jungle. Under the brief refuge of daylight, they remained undisturbed. Seth was glad for the peace. When they had made camp the previous night, monsters swarmed upon their makeshift hut. The creaks and groans of decayed bodies set both men on edge. Sleep had not come easy that night and Seth could feel threads of tiredness pulling at his limbs. This was a journey he hoped to finish swiftly.

As much as Seth wanted to believe Nebris—wanted to believe that he was leading them to _answers_ —doubt lingered in his mind. The nightman had shown him a portal nothing like obsidian structure the group had ventured to before. The shimmering surface seemed to peer into the dark sky of a world not unlike their own. But the nightman had also shown him an endless void pinpricked with dull static as if the very sky was threatening to tear apart and reveal itself to be façade—a curtain waiting to be lifted. Seth knew not what was on the other side, and that is where the fear set in

Suspicions about Nebris’ trustworthiness not yet put to rest, the jungle finally opened up into a clearing where Seth spotted a lone cobble pillar rising from the earth. Three days north, two days east, exactly as described. The sight did nothing to soothe his doubts and the unpleasant sensation that he felt in his gut left him reluctant to follow Nebris' instructions any further. "You feel that?" he asked Guude, who had come up behind him.

"Feel what?" said Guude.

"That- that nothing, never mind." The sensation was almost magnetic, an insistent tug localized just behind his navel. Guude side-eyed him as he passed but made no comment, shrugging off the question.

Pulling out their tools, the two went to work.

Nearly fifty blocks deep, virgin stone turned to deliberately carved rock and the magnetic pull was only getting stronger. Seth waved Guude over and cracked apart the stone. The air was thick and the darkness smothering. Guude laid down a torch that sputtered and threaten to die, and the darkness opened up to a long corridor. Moss leeched between cracks in the stone brick and bits of floor crumbled at the edges of an exposed cave. Seth coughed into the musty air, dust spiralling away from his exhalations in the flickering torchlight. The place reeked of danger.

"Can we go back now?" he asked, only half-joking.

Guude held a finger to his lips, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Something creaked in the darkness behind them.

 _Twang_.

In a bold collision of instinct and ungainly skill, Seth turned, sword drawn from his hip. With a hard thunk, the arrow bounced against his iron chest plate. Seth grimaced at the dent and the inevitable bruise left behind.

"And that is why I trust you," Guude announced.

Seth turned to see Guude's bare neck positioned exactly where the arrow would have hit home. "Thanks, I guess," said Seth, turning back towards the skeleton. It had already readied another arrow to fire. This time, Seth was prepared. Upon hearing Guude’s scramble for cover, Seth twisted into a dodge as the skeleton let its arrow fly, leaving it defenceless against Seth’s swift retaliation. He watched with pride as the skeleton's remains turned to dust. BTC had taught him well.

The threat taken care of, Seth turned back to the lit end of the corridor. Now undistracted, the pull in his gut was nearly unbearable. He took an unconscious step towards the archway at the end of the room. A small set of steps hid what lay beyond, but he was certain they had found it, whatever it was Nebris had meant for them to find.

He found himself approaching, Guude trailing just behind. One step, two steps. He looked over the edge.

Stars and darkness...

~ ~ ~

"Left, right, duck, then come across the one o'clock," BTC explained, demonstrating each move as he did.

Seth mimicked the moves, his feet kicking up dust as he circled BTC. Each strike was met with a swift but unaggressive block and the movements flowed near-seamlessly. Finishing the set, Seth returned his sword to the scabbard at his hip and gave a mock curtsey. "How about that?" he said with a grin.

"Still a little slow on that duck, but you're getting there. If you keep going like this you might actually be able to spar me without getting your ass kicked."

"I don't know, man. I think you might be the one getting the arse kicking by now," said Seth. He swatted BTC's arm as he passed, heading back towards the training shed.

"You, me, one on one? You up for the challenge?"

Seth turned back, face alight with a playful grin. "Nah. Don't wanna get my hands dirty, you know," he said, holding up two rather dirty hands. "Seriously, though, I'm absolutely beat. Another time, though, definitely."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, BTC followed Seth into the shack and began peeling off his armour. After placing his armour back on its stand, BTC sat down on one of the benches and invited Seth to join him. "I'm serious, you know, about you having potential," he said.

Seth noted his sobered expression and sat up a little straighter. "Yeah?" he probed.

"Yeah," BTC agreed. "Actually, I know I've sort of suggested this before but I really would like you to join us when we leave.

" _When_ ," Seth said, with a hint of disappointment.

"What happens tonight is going to be the big decider, but hear me out," BTC began.

Terms of the trial had spread through the compound like wildfire. It came down to two sides: those who believed Nebris was a serious threat to the community's safety and should be put to death in the best interests of the majority, and those who thought Nebris should be punished but didn’t believe in such extreme measures. BTC and his following had made it clear that they were with the former. They had handed Guude their ultimatum the moment he and Seth had returned.

Seth had heard most of this spiel several times before. Still, he listened patiently.

"Guude, he's chasing after a pipe dream. You saw what happened with the obsidian portal. What are the chances that this other portal is just the same—a false hope. And Pyro, we have no idea what's going on with him but ever since the portal, he's been getting worse and worse. You yourself nearly got blown to pieces in there. There's no telling what new dangers we'll find in this new portal. We need to accept that his place is our home now and stop chasing after a 'before' that may have never even been."

"And sitting here and doing nothing is the solution to that?"

“I don't know. Maybe. My point is that we need to focus on these mobs that keep fucking us over every time we leave this fenced-in cage. And Nebris? Do you trust him too?"

"No, I don't trust him," snapped Seth. His expression softened as he considered his declaration. Did he trust Nebris? Not in principle, but he was still chasing after Nebris' portal, wasn't he? They didn't know how or why Nebris knew of it. "Guude trusts him and I trust Guude."

"Guude doesn't trust Nebris. Nebris never came back from his encounter with that nightman. Whoever this is, it's not Nebris. Come with us, Seth, we could use a guy like you."

Even with his doubts, Seth couldn't budge. This idea of _home_ —the portal—called to him. He knew, deep down, that that was what he had to do. Nebris' trickery or not, he needed to find out the truth, one way or another. "I'm sorry, BTC, but I belong here, and I want to make it back."

"Wanting won't make it real, but if that's your decision then I can only wish you well," said BTC. He stood and walked out of the shack, not once looking back.

Seth sighed and rested his head in his hands. He wondered if he really was making the right choice, but there was no turning back now. For better or for worse.

~ ~ ~

That day at sundown, the group gathered among the seats of the town hall. For once during a 'town meeting', silence filled the ranks of seats that circled around the central podium. Shadows cast by flickering torchlight arched up towards the high dome ceiling where darkness gathered at its highest point. It filled the space with an almost tangible sense of foreboding. Seth sat front and centre, ready to stand and testify as a witness during their quasi-trial.

He looked over his shoulder to see the room divided. Most notably, BTC, Millbee, Zisteau, Mhykol, and MC to his right, and Bdubs, Pause, Beef, and a very stricken-looking Pyro to his left. Etho sat with him at the front, ready to testify as witness. At the very front, stood stiffly behind the podium, was Guude: appointed judge, jury, and executioner for the night,

Guude raised a hand—an unneeded gesture to call silence upon the group. At the back of the hall, the large doors banged shut and two sets of footsteps made their way to the centre of the room. Generik, dressed in gleaming iron armour and armed with a menacing diamond sword, led Nebris to the podium. Seth watched as Generik released Nebris with a hard shove and took place among the group to his right.

Nebris rubbed at his wrists, and for the first time that Seth had seen, no longer carried his confident demeanour. The violet-eyed man locked eyes with Seth and flashed him a knowing smirk before returning to his previous state of apparent defeat.

Once Nebris and Generik had settled into place, Guude tapped a carved stick against the podium, signalling the beginning of the proceeding. "Members of the compound," he began, voice booming through the hall, "today we call forth Nebris to stand before the eyes of justice and plead his case against the accusations cast upon him: attempted escape from just imprisonment as instated by the community, assault against his fellow residents, and treason against the community's greater good. Nebris, do you acknowledge these accusations and their possible consequences?”

Nebris swallowed visibly. "I do," he said, voice soft and uncertain.

"Do you swear upon your own life to speak the truth and nothing but?”

"I swear upon my own life to speak the truth and nothing but."

"Then I shall call upon Etho and Seth to attest to the events that took place preceding your indictment." 

First Seth, then Etho took their places upon the podium to swear an oath of truth and recount the events of Nebris' escape. As Etho spoke his oath of truth, he glanced at Seth, expression conflicted. Seth gave him a single nod. He understood well enough. No-one would hold the result of the proceedings against either of them.

Next, various people from each side of the room were called forward to argue for and against the severity of his crimes. His guilt was unquestionable. It was punishment that they were deciding upon tonight. Nebris remained silent the entire time, standing still and proud despite his weary expression. Guude watched in quiet consideration, speaking only to direct the proceeding.

Pause took the podium, his usual cheerful humour replaced with stern determination. "No man within and beyond this fence deserves to face death. Everyone deserves a chance to atone for their mistakes and make peace with those they have harmed. Peace cannot be made, and deeds atoned in death. Yes, I believe Nebris should be punished, but not to such an extreme," he began. He spoke clearly and with a sense of authority. No-one dared to interrupt. Pause was many things: a joker, a friend, and a fighter but above all else, he was loyal. There was doubt about where his loyalty stood.

Seth didn't know much about Nebris' relationships with those who stood to defend him, but it was clear that they cared a lot. He admired that. And while he lacked a strong bond with Nebris himself, he believed their cause was right. The logic followed through and for all his doubts, there was no arguing with that.

Those who stood for Nebris' execution spoke just as strongly. Clear-cut points about Nebris' past actions and the safety of the compound sliced through the air. In a sense, they were right too. Given Nebris' actions, they had no reason to believe he wouldn't do it again. Nebris had made no apologies for the harm that he had caused and no promises for the future. His silence was deafening. It was as if he believed the things he'd say would have no effect on those who listened.

When Guude called a recess upon the meeting to discuss with a neutral party, the air was sallow with defeat. As Guude and Kurt began to leave, Nebris voice rang across the hall, breaking his self-imposed silence for the first time during the proceedings. "The worst thing you could do is leave me behind," he said.

Guude turned, expression unreadable. He nodded once and left in silence, the door closing with an audible slam.

~ ~ ~


	11. Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nebris verdict is announced, details are gathered for their upcoming journey, and Etho makes a dangerous choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone asks, this totally came out four months ago when I got it back from my wonderful beta silver. I hope to get the next chapter done ASAP and look forward to hearing your thoughts. <3

_"He's playing us, Kurt. This is exactly what he wants us to do."  
  
"I know, but I'm not willing to watch any more of my friends die either."_  
  
The door creaked open, and Guude and Kurt walked in, faces solemn but set with determination. The hall fell to silence, no one daring to breathe. Nebris locked his eyes with Guude, his expression unreadable. Seth shivered, feeling as though he was watching a predator stare down its prey. Even chained and subdued, Nebris was as menacing as ever.  
  
Guude approached the podium, his footsteps echoing through the hall. Everyone sat on edge, and no-one was prepared for the judgement that was about to take place. Guude cleared his throat. Seth felt Etho fidget nervously beside him. A stick was rapped against the podium, and, voice booming over the crowd, Guude began the announcement.  
  
"Nebris, under the guidance of those heard today and a judgement made upon the principles of this community, you are hereby sentenced to indefinite imprisonment within a cell upon these grounds and upon these grounds alone. In no circumstance, including the relocation of this community and its people, shall your imprisonment cease or your location of imprisonment change. If we leave, you will be left behind. This decision is final."  
  
It was as if the world were frozen. No-one moved. No-one spoke. People sat, wide-eyed with disbelief as the decision registered. Some sagged with relief, others tensed with disappointment. BTC shared quiet words with Zisteau, resigned to the outcome. "I knew this was coming," Seth overheard him say.  
  
Seth hadn't known what to expect when he'd come to the trial, but in his own way he was relieved that Nebris hadn't been sentenced to execution, if only for his own selfish reasons. Nebris knew _something_ about that portal and Seth was determined to find out what. If this was the cost, then so be it. The nightmen, this portal; whatever was going on here was clearly greater than themselves, and the loss of his friendships with those who threatened to leave was a sacrifice he was willing to make.  
  
He looked over at BTC's group again. They'd already begun to gather themselves to leave the hall. It was expected that they would leave come morning. They'd already cleared their houses and packed their things, predicting their fate. Their departure would be a solemn but unmourned affair. They'd brought it upon themselves, after all.  
  
From his left, Etho had gotten up and approached Nebris for a hushed conversation of his own. Seth could only make out indecipherable mutterings. Etho's body language was terse and he reached a hand towards Nebris' wrist which was swiftly jerked away. Eyes like ice, Etho turned and stormed away, pushing past those filing out of the hall.  
  
Eventually, only Seth, Guude, and Nebris remained. "This is it?" asked Seth.  
  
"This is it," Guude agreed. "Nebris is going to tell us everything he knows about that portal and then we'll leave—all of us will leave—the day after tomorrow."  
  
"I said nothing about tell-" Nebris began.  
  
"You _will_ tell us everything you know about the portal, after the sacrifice I just made for you," Guude interrupted, a snarl catching the edges of his voice.  
  
"Whatever you say, boss."  
  
"Seth, take him to his cell. I'll meet you there in five."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"So you're all going on your big adventure without me," said Nebris, arms crossed lazily as he leaned back against the wall of his cell. "And here I though you cared about me."  
  
Seth, Guude, and Etho sat opposite him on chairs dragged in from outside. Five minutes had turned to thirty by the time Guude had managed to free himself from the flurry of discussion after the meeting. Seth supressed a yawn and Etho gave him a sympathetic smile. It had been a long night.  
  
"Shut up, Nebris," snapped Guude, his voice thick with weariness.  
  
Nebris shrugged, unperturbed by Guude's blunt irritation. "Whatever floats your boat."  
  
"Nebris," Etho warned, his tone unusually harsh. Seth looked up from the notebook sitting in his lap. This was the first time Etho had spoken since he'd turned up at Nebris' cell after the trial. Nebris looked away, violet eyes dark and dim.  
  
For all his time spent there, Seth still had no idea what went on between Nebris and Etho. No-one ever really talked about it and any attempts to pry had been brushed off by the others. He wasn't sure if even they knew what went on between Nebris and Etho either. Asking Etho himself had only awarded him silence.  
  
"Fine, fine. I'll behave," Nebris finally conceded. "I'll tell you what you want to know."  
  
Guude held a pencil ready above his own notepad. "Good."  
  
As it turned out, Nebris apparently knew very little about the portal itself. He described having come across it during the time he went missing. After seeking shelter in a cave for the night, he'd stumbled upon the dungeon and explored it from there. He claimed to have made no attempt to enter the portal, and that a book he had found nearby described a terrible beast that would have to be fought on the other side to gain passageway through what he described as 'the End'.  
  
When asked why he hadn't divulged this information sooner, Nebris claimed to have forgotten it until recently, blaming the memory loss on his encounter with a nightman, or 'Enderman', as he still insisted on calling them. He repeated the story perfectly when asked to recall it again. Everything matched to the tee and he spoke with a convincing certainty that made Seth want to believe him. The thought of it made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end.  
  
Seth eyed him suspiciously. There was no evidence to back up his claims, but Guude was convinced. His earlier irritation had melted away as Nebris' story echoed his own sentiments of 'home' and 'answers'. "This is it," Nebris asserted. "This is what you've been looking for."  
  
"We're going home, then," said Guude, eyes sparkling with hope.  
  
The whole time, Nebris' violet stare reminded Seth of the piercing, unending gaze of the nightman. He shivered. BTC's offer echoed in the back of his mind and, not for the first time, he wondered if he'd made the right decision.  
  
"Home, then," Seth repeated. The word tasted foreign in the dingy light of Nebris' cell. Home was… he didn't know what home was. There was Guude and the compound sharing meals by the fire surrounded by friends and their stories from the day. Home was also a foggy memory—not even a memory but the sense that a memory should be there. Would he even like it if he were to go 'home'? Would he remember who he was before this mess or would he be landing head-first into a life as strange as this one used to be?  
  
There was also BTC and the others: friends who chose to stay behind. What would happen to them? No matter which path he took, there were people to lose. He was not ready to take sides, but yet, here he was. Forced into the choice whether he wanted it or not.  
  
"So once we go through, there's no coming back?" Seth asked. He had to. They _had to_ come back for the others. He put on a hopeful face. They'd go through the portal and find a way back here. They'd come back for the others and show them that Guude was right. And maybe one day, if the sly devil hadn't already found a way to escape, they'd come back for Nebris too and put all his mistakes behind them.  
  
Nebris shrugged, giving an ambiguous hum. "I guess you'll just have to go and find out," he said, violet eyes burning. "If you do come back, though, be sure to give me a visit. I get lonesome here when I'm all by myself."  
  
"We'll be sure to," said Guude. He offered Nebris a sincere smile. "Wouldn't forget you for the world."  
  
Nebris put a hand to his chest in mock appreciation. "I knew you loved me all along."  
  
"You wish."  
  
"Oh but I do"  
  
Guude snorted out a laugh. "I'll believe that the day you actually go and kiss me," he said with a teasing grin.  
  
"Eh, worth a shot," said Nebris. He stretched his arms up as far as they'd go and yawned. "You leave tomorrow, then?"  
  
Guude nodded. "We leave as soon as the skeletons finish burning."  
  
Nebris' expression darkened and he found himself staring at the floor. "I s'pose this is it? The big Goodbye."  
  
"I'll miss you too," Guude said with a weak smile. "Goodbye and good riddance? Something like that."  
  
"Something like that…"  
  
Etho, who'd fallen silent throughout Nebris' exposition, finally spoke up as the trio readied to leave Nebris' cell. “Take care, Nebris," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling into a sad smile, "and do try to keep out of trouble."  
  
"I make no promises," Nebris said with a wink.  
  
The two shared a forlorn look as Guude and Seth slipped out of the building, Etho having promised to follow them shortly afterwards. Finally alone, Etho breathed in slow and steadily. The small object clutched in his fist burnt cold against is skin. He held it tighter, still unsure of his decision.  
  
"You're never gonna let me go about that scar of yours," Nebris said. He rolled his shoulders and stretched himself out like a lazy cat. The cold floor offered little comfort, but he'd make what he could of it.  
  
"Nope. But maybe one day you'll learn not to stab first, ask questions later," said Etho. He brushed the scar that ran down his left eye: a remnant from the first time he met Nebris. They'd come a long way since then—bitter adversaries to friendly rivals to whatever this was now. Companions? Protectors? An ill-defined closeness with no time left to work out the rest? It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that they were leaving and that Nebris was to be left behind.  
  
"And you say I never learn." Nebris' smile was fond, the familiar rhythm of teasing a necessary comfort in the confines of his prison.  
  
"Oh shush."  
  
"And maybe you don't learn either," Nebris said, nodding down at Etho's closed fist. Infuriatingly perceptive as ever.  
  
"Maybe I don't," said Etho. He loosened his fingers around the key but made no move to release it.  
  
"Is this you proposing we run away together to frolic in the hills for the rest of our days?" Nebris said with a wry smile.  
  
"You wish," Etho said with a chuckle.  
  
"That's what everyone says. Maybe they're not wrong."  
  
"No," Etho said with a sense of finality. "I meant it when I asked you to stay out of trouble." He placed the key on the floor and pushed it towards Nebris.  
  
"And I told ya, I make no promises."  
  
Etho huffed dramatically, but left the key where it was. "I know," he sighed, "but a guy can always hope."  
  
"Yeah, hope... That's a thing that people have," said Nebris. He tugged at the hem of his shirt and looked down at the key. When he looked up again, his expression was unreadable. "Anyway, you should probably head out now, before you start getting all teary-eyed. Oh Nebris! I hate to never see you again. How will I ever survive?" he said, voice rising in a poor imitation of Etho's.  
  
"I'm sure I'll get by without you," said Etho. He shuffled awkwardly and eyed the door with distaste. "But as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. I don't want to start the big day half asleep, do I now?"  
  
With leaden limbs, Etho finally stood up and made steps towards the door. Just as his hand landed on the handle, Nebris soft voice cut through the silence. "Good luck," he said, "though I doubt you'll need it."  
  
When the door closed with a click, Etho rested his head against it and closed his eyes. The dark of the night swelled like a thick butt and the cold prickled at his skin. A lone skeleton clattered its bones in the distance. He wanted to go back. It would be so easy to slip back in so they could escape to 'frolic in the hills' as Nebris had suggested. But the others—they needed him, and no selfish want would override that.  
  
He turned his back to the cell and didn't give it a second look.  
  
~ ~ ~


	12. All's Well That Ends Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group make it through the portal and face down their final challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -whistles innocently- We ain't done yet boys.
> 
> Thanks to Silver for sticking around as my beta for this long! Have fun. :)

With the morning sun blazing orange behind them, two groups stood ready at the compound gate. Bags of meagre belongings were slung over heavily armed backs, their sleepless eyes stared out at the hills that awaited them. What had come to be dubbed as the 'split group' stood to the side, endowed with supplies and equipment more suited to their journey south in search of a new place to set up camp.  
  
The last of goodbyes that hadn't already been exchanged in the quiet of the night had passed through the morning with teary eyes and long-lingering hugs. Now was the space between—not quite apart, but no longer still together. Seth stood at the edge, frowning vaguely in the direction of BTC. He'd expected some sort of final offering from the man, but they'd barely spoken since the trial. The sudden rift between them left Seth feeling hollow.  
  
Pyro, still weak on his feet, had been adamant about joining Guude and the others. The news had him filled with a sudden burst of energy that almost had him back to his old self. Only the sickly pallor of his skin and the occasional loss of balance gave any indication that he was still fighting off whatever he'd caught on the other side of the obsidian portal.  
  
All in all, they were about as ready as they could be. The compound they had built as home was no more than a ghost town, now. Only the campfire ashes, still hot to the touch, gave any sign that the township had been inhabited at all, and those, too, would be lost to the wind with time. They faced their journey with a sense of certainty; no matter what happened, they weren't coming back.  
  
"I feel like I'm going to war," Seth said, to no-one in particular.  
  
"Me too," said Kurt. He looked up at the sky where the last of the stars were fading to clear blue. "But what are we fighting for?"  
  
"Freedom, I hope," Seth answered. "Maybe on the other side of it all we won't feel so trapped by what we don't know."  
  
"Maybe," said Kurt, his gaze fixed to the distance. "But then again, maybe it's the fear of the unknown that keeps us going."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Could be. Or maybe we're just the pawns of some all-powerful creator in their own fun little game. Only death holds any hope of answering that, and even then we might never know. Me? I'm content with the mystery."  
  
With Kurt's ponderings of life and death floating in the wind, the last of the mobs fell to ash and the final day began.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Hey, Melonhead!" Beef shouted to Pause who had, contrary to Beef’s taunts, placed a pumpkin over his head in a fit of boredom.  
  
By this point they were nearly three quarters of the way to the portal. Thoughts of those who had chosen to stay behind were pushed aside as the group filled the surrounding jungle with talk of plans and strategy for the battle that awaited them. Emotions were terse as the finality of their decision truly sank in. Anyone who were to back out now would do so alone. With the compound abandoned and the dangers of the night behind them, the only way to go was forward.  
  
Despite the restlessness and heavy thoughts that hung over the group, some still attempted to lighten the mood.  
  
"What's it to you, Pumpkinface?" Pause called back as he left his position on the fringes of the party, sidling over to Beef to pull a pumpkin over his head.  
  
"I dunno, Pause, but I think it's a definite improvement to your ugly mug," Beef taunted with an unseen grin.  
  
With feigned sadness, Pause hung his head low and said, "but I thought you thought my face was beautiful."  
  
"Your face is always beautiful," said Beef, giving Pause's pumpkin a conciliatory pat.  
  
"Aww, thanks Beef," said Pause.  
  
From off to the side, Guude smothered a chuckle at the pair's antics. "Are you two gonna continue being gross or are you actually gonna help us clean up last night's camp like you said you would?" he teased.  
  
"Keep being gross," Pause shot back, although he did begin clearing up some of the gear they'd laid out for the camp, pumpkin still on his head nonetheless.  
  
Leaving them to their mischief, Guude and the others moved forward with the morning's preparation. He and Seth had been carefully marking out the rest of their journey on a map and distributing copies to the rest of the group, just in case they got separated. Once they made it through the rest of the dense jungle, it was a straight shot to the cobble pillar and the stairway he and Seth had dug down to the portal.  
  
Even from this far out, Seth could still feel its pull. It felt stronger than before, as if it knew they were coming, as if it wanted them to come. He feared, briefly, that he was merely a puppet on strings, leading the others into another's well laid plans. But no, all the months here had shown them how truly alone they were. These were plans of their own making. He was certain of it.  
  
With those thoughts brushed aside, they began the march into the jungle where shadows pooled beneath the thick canopy above.  
  
Kurt was the first to notice the purple glow that ducked between the trees. Three sets of violet eyes peered between the leaves like distant stars upon the darkest night. The void-like bodies of the nightmen seemed to melt into the shadows themselves and tear the very fabric of space apart to make room for their appearance. Kurt's call of alarm rippled across the group and they all ducked for cover.  
  
The nightmen approached, aloof to the panic that fell around them.  
  
Seth sucked in a breath, thinking back to his last encounter with a nightman. The scars from its claws were still an angry red against his skin and dreams—nightmares—of what it had shown him continued to plague him at night.  
  
Behind him, something rustled in the bushes and he dared to spare a glance. His call of warning was cut short as Pause and Beef locked eyes with the nightmen. _Too late._  The two had fallen behind in their shenanigans and hadn't heard the commotion. They froze, their expressions hidden by the pumpkins still covering their heads. Nobody breathed and nobody moved as Pause and Beef stood waiting, hands hovering over the hilts of their swords.  
  
One of the nighmen burbled and glanced up at something unimportant in the branches of a tree. Then, with a whoosh and a crack, the three nightmen were gone.  
  
An eternity passed before anyone dared to breathe again, still waiting for the nightmen to reappear. With no sign of their return, Seth slumped against the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever had stopped them from attacking, he was grateful for it. They'd lost enough to the nightmen already.  
  
"What the fuck was that!?" Pause called out, pulling off his pumpkin. He stared at it in awe. "I wonder…" he added under his breath.  
  
"Wow," said a rather speechless Beef as he pulled off his own pumpkin. "Boy, am I the luckiest man alive."  
  
"Tell me about it," said Bdubs. "I thought you were goners. Three of them! I don't think I've ever seen more than just the one by itself before."  
  
"Very strange," Kurt agreed.  
  
"But why?" Bdubs asked. "Any more eye contact and I could have called it loving. And they just- they just upped and left. I don't get it."  
  
"Me neither, but I sure as hell ain't gonna question it," said Pause. He looked at the pumpkin again, turning it in his hands. "But maybe it was this?"  
  
"A ghastly face like that could be enough to scare them off," said Beef with a hint of a smile. "A face that only a mother could love."  
  
"Hey!" said Pause. He cuddled his pumpkin 'lovingly'. "Don't you say that about my baby."  
  
"They might not be as smart as we think they are," said Kurt. "They might not recognise us as people when we wear the pumpkins."  
  
"And we've only ever known them to attack people," added Guude, continuing Kurt's thought.  
  
Beef shrugged. "If it works for me then I'll take what I can get," he said.  
  
"Pumpkins for everyone!" Pause declared, pulling out some of the pumpkins he'd collected earlier.  
  
"I would like this to actually be tested before it's put into practice, but please don't go throwing yourself at them now," said Kurt.  
  
Pause nodded sagely. Protective pumpkins or not, the nightmen were still as dangerous as ever and provoking one was a suicide mission. If they encountered any more between here and the portal, it was well and truly best to just leave them alone.  
  
"So onwards and upwards?" Seth said, brushing himself off. It wouldn’t be too long till the pillar marking the portal was in sight. Its strange force pulled at his limbs, calling him closer and closer with every step.  
  
"Onwards and upwards," Guude confirmed. He pulled out his map and traced his finger along the route they were to take. "The portal should only be a few hours through this jungle. Then we're there."  
  
They cut through the jungle with surprising speed. The trek had been tiring but excitement now bubbled through the group as they approached the cobble pillar and made their way down to the portal. The room was cold and silent as if the air itself had been pulled into the portal's void-like depths. No-one dared make a sound.  
  
To Seth, the call of the portal was inescapable now. It filled him like a nightman's scream. His fingers stretched of their own accord to the portal's surface. This was where he was meant to go. There was no doubt about it. Whatever lay on the other side, this was where they'd find answers. This was where they'd find their end.  
  
He could resist the call no longer. With no-one to stop him, he reached down to embrace the portal's icy depths and the world turned to darkness…  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
The end began with static. Tiny prickles ran along his skin and his hair raised in alarm. Next, he noticed the emptiness—the air that both did and didn't exist. Seth breathed and his lungs filled but the air felt too light, as if his sense of touch no longer recognised where he stopped and the air began.   
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes to the darkness around him. The sky glittered above as a fuzzy haze: specs of colour fizzling and merging into a static grey that blanketed the world from all directions. To his left, strange, yellow stone rose in a steep hill on the side of a gargantuan mass that floated above the void. He took a tentative step across the obsidian platform he had materialised on and breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't dissipate below him. This place felt too fragile; as though its very existence rested in a delicate balance.  
  
Behind him, the rattle of swords alerted Seth to the appearance of the others. As they gained their bearings, Guude was the first to speak. "What is this place?" he asked. He crossed the bridge of obsidian and approached the yellow stone, bending down to touch it.  
  
"I don't know," Seth said, softly. "It's certainly something, alright."  
  
"Yeah," Guude agreed, taking in the sights around him.  
  
Together, the group made their way up the hill, coming to a nightman-filled plateau of yellow stone that stretched out before them. Obsidian pillars rose from the ground like pikes, spinning white crystals adorning their tips.  
  
In the distance, something rumbled.  
  
Coming up beside Guude, Bdubs shuddered, visibly. "What was that?" he asked.  
  
"Dunno," said Guude with a frown, "but it sounds big."  
  
"Can I go back now? I think I've done enough adventuring to cover several lifetimes," said Bdubs. He fingered the hilt of his sword and glanced back at the platform they'd appeared on.  
  
"I don't think there is any going back now," said Seth. The void glittered below them, pulling at every thread of life that dared set foot in this wasteland. There was no portal leading back the way they came. There was only onwards to the thing that lurked in the distance.  
  
The air rumbled again with an enranged cry. Seth flinched. Whatever it was, it sounded big.  
  
"Looks like we're stuck fighting this thing," said Guude.  
  
"I don't suppose we can sit here for the rest of eternity and hope that thing never finds us," Beef suggested.  
  
"I wish," said Pause, his voice unusually hushed.  
  
"Nebris did say we need to fight this thing to get out," said Seth. He squinted at the horizon, hoping to make out the shape of the creature that awaited them. All he saw was the thick grey sky. Below, the dusty yellow stone began to twinkle. Specs of black and purple darting in and out of existence. "Nightmen..." he whispered.  
  
Kurt looked out in wonder. "I've never seen so many. Do we have to fight them- fight them all?" He took a sharp breath in, knuckles whitening around the grip of his bow.  
  
Another rumble shook the ground beneath their feet.  
  
"I hope not," said Pause, pulling his own bow to the ready.  
  
Seth squinted as something came into focus in the distance - two bright, violet lights, seething and crackling with energy. The thing roared again, its form spreading out across the sky, night swallowed by deeper night. "What is that thing?" he said, throat tightening.  
  
Guude looked up, green eyes glittering. "I- I don't know."  
  
"Heaven help us now," cursed Bdubs. He held his sword up as a challenge to the beast, its violet eyes reflecting off the cold steel.  
  
Kurt nocked back an arrow, eyes trained on the beast before him. It swept out its wings, soaring through the sky. With a guttural roar, a beam of white light shot out through the void from one of the white crystals. The beam sizzled with electric purple light where it came in contact with the beast's flesh. Its eyes burned brighter and the ridges on its back shimmered in the glow.  
  
"Here goes nothing," said Kurt, fingers twitching away from the taught string of his bow. With that, the battle began.  
  
The others leaped forward, arrows arcing through the sky. One by one, they pierced the beast's flesh and it moaned, violet light spilling from the holes in its hide. Hearts drumming a crescendo in their chests, the group watched as another white beam cut through the darkness. Sparks crackled and as the beast snarled out its agony, the arrows piercing it began to sizzle, disintegrating in a shower of light.  
  
A look of horror shadowed Seth's features. "Those crystals," he shouted above the noise of battle, "we have to get rid of them!"  
  
"How?" Pause shouted back, letting another arrow fly.  
  
"I don't know, but we have to try something!" Seth turned his eyes back to the beast, switching to his sword to slash at its hide as it swooped down low.  
  
Pause gritted his teeth, and, with an angry shrug, aimed an arrow at the nearest crystal. He waited, watching as the arrow sank into the crystal's core. He turned back to the beast with a frustrated grunt, cursing his waste of an arrow.  
  
 _Crack._  
  
He felt, more than heard, the explosion of the crystal as it shattered into bright hot light.  
  
Cheers resounded across the group at the crystal's destruction. Others turned, shooting at the other crystals atop the pillars.  
  
Blow by blow, the group hacked away at the beast's pitch black armour, crystals bursting like fireworks in tandem. A grunt and a cry as an arrow punctured taut wing membrane and a man-sized claw sent a comrade flying. More shots, more blows, and violet light dripping thick like molasses.  
  
Beef cried out and Seth turned, watching as a black claw pierced Beef's shoulder. Pause let out a frightened cry, bow falling to his side as he ran to his friend's aid. Seth held his sword across his body, guarding as the beast came around for another swoop. The others continued their volley of arrows, tattering its wings and peppering its body with leaking holes.  
  
"It's faltering," Guude called out. "Go for the neck, we can do this!"  
  
The monster roared once more, coming to hover just above the group. Seth slashed at its underbelly, ignoring the sting of violet ichor dripping down onto his skin.  
  
Guude leaped up, jamming his sword in the creature's throat. It gave a gurgled roar as Guude swung around, rending its neck from jaw to clavicle as he pulled free.  
  
The ground shuddered and the air came alive with static, the sky burning with a mosaic of violet and white. The monster froze, hanging, suspended above the group. Seth swallowed, paralysed and trembling with fear. Like a sharp exhale, piercing bolts of light began to shoot from the creature's body. They burned and crackled, filling the sky. The others flinched away, shielding their eyes from the light. Then, with an ethereal breeze, the creature began to dissolve, burning away into violet sparks that floated through the ether.  
  
"We, we did it," Kurt stuttered, his eyes wide with wonder.  
  
"We did it," Pause echoed, voice wavering in awe.  
  
Guude shouted out in triumph, holding his sword high.  
  
"We're fucking invincible, man!" said Bdubs, a curse slipping out in his delight.  
  
"Yeah," Seth nodded absently, eyes still glued to the violet snow slowly drifting out towards the void, "invincible..."  
  
Guude sat down with a thud, falling next to Beef who nursed at his injured shoulder with Pause hovering nervously overhead. He stared at his hands, voice growing sombre. "I can't believe we fucking did it," he said to himself.  
  
"Me neither," Pause agreed with a slow shake of his head. "But what now?"  
  
Guude looked up, eyes brightening at a new structure that had risen from the yellow stone at the beast’s defeat. "Now," he began, "I think we finally go home."  
  
The others cheered, bodies shaking with joy, exhaustion, and adrenaline.  
  
"Wherever home is," Seth added softly, amid the roar of the cheers.  
  
Just beyond the newly formed portal, two violet eyes blinked, unnoticed by the celebrating group.  
  
"Home," Guude said, picking himself back up. He stared at the new portal, something soft and heretofore unseen in his gaze. "We're finally going home."  
  
~ ~ ~


	13. From The Journal III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the beast defeated, the group step through the portal and finally find home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlucky number 13. This is it, the final chapter of the first part of the survival saga as chapter 14 is merely an intermission. It's been a long journey but man it's finally here and I'm excited to move on to new projects and start thinking about the next arc. It feels good to have this done and dusted. But as for my feelings, well I have a few of those and I suppose after this you will too ;)
> 
> Thanks always to silver for being my beta. She keeps things polished and is one of my main motivators to keep on going. <3

Day 501, Entry 2.  
 _Another one came today. Etho returned late from a patrol and it's almost like I was expecting it. His name is Seth, and even though I shouldn't, I already trust him. It's felt like an eternity since another one of us has arrived. Paul Soares was the last and I was starting to think our ramshackle group was complete. It was like we had gone into stasis, with nowhere else to go; neither forward nor back. But Seth is here and spirits are high. This has to be the start of something. I can feel it. Maybe this is what I've been looking for. Can a man dare to hope?_  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Day 515, Entry 1.  
 _I've dared to hope._  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Day 545, A Note to Whoever Remains  
 _If you're reading this, it's because you've found this journal and the crumbling remnants of what my people came to call home. Maybe you were once one of us. Maybe you're a stranger placed within this world long after I've gone, just as lost as I once was. Maybe you're not even human at all. But that's not important. What's important is the tale I've left for you, buried in this journal I've carried since the day I first awoke here.  
  
I'll try my best to be brief, but it is a long tale to tell, and not all my writings are as succinct as they could be.  
  
Since you're here now, I guess the best place to start is the end. If you've found this, it means I've made it through the portal and moved on to the life this world tried to take away from me. You probably feel it in remnants of blank memories and source-less knowledge. Every one of us was like that when we awoke here. You aren't, or weren't, alone in that. I can't tell you why you're here, but I can tell you how to escape. My later entries detail exactly that—the turn of events that finally got me out of here. Start around day 500 if escape is all you want to know.  
  
Day 432 is really where it all began. There was a man named Nebris, and monsters made of night. I suspect that, somewhere, one wasn't too far from the other. But if you meet him and alongside the monsters, doesn't try to kill you, you should spare him a little faith. I called him friend and I trusted him. If I were you, I'd consider doing the same. (But don't trust him too much. He's a crafty bastard when he wants to be.) Regardless, he was the one who told us what to do and where to go. I thank him for it, even though we chose to leave him behind. If you read far enough, you'll find out why. Tell him I said hi, and if he hasn't gone completely mad by then, maybe bring him with you.  
  
If you meet the others—a group led by a man known as BTC, you can tell them they were wrong. It pains me to know they're not here with me now, but their choice to part with us was theirs alone. They're stubborn, but I wish them well. If you have the patience, then maybe you can convince them to come with you too. I do wish you luck in that regard.  
  
And if you find others who fall into neither groups mentioned above, then that's your own story to unravel. Maybe they'll be the people who made the fortress in the world through the obsidian portal. (I don't recommend going through the obsidian portal.) Maybe you're one of those people and if you happen to belong in the same world as us, then I'd love to meet you on the other side. That is, of course, if you decide that my world is your home.  
  
If there's anything I've learnt here, I suppose that that's one thing worth mentioning. While there were the questions and the deaths, and my world otherwise crumbling around me, the people I'd bonded with were what held me together. Bdubs, Pause, Pyro, and so many others... Even though this wasn't my world to be in, at the end of it all, those people had made it my home. I sincerely don't know what I'd do without them.  
  
Maybe you'll learn something from all this too, or maybe this journal will lay here forever, never to see light again. Wouldn't it be funny if this were actually all just some long and convoluted dream. It wouldn't seem fair if it was.  
  
But regardless, dear stranger, I wish you well.  
May you live, thrive, and survive.  
  
My best regards,  
Guude of Mindcrack._  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Book 2.  
Day 0, Entry 1.  
 _We did it. Faced the End, killed the beast, and stepped through the portal like it were the door to death itself. And we made it. We made it home. Except we didn’t. The memories, the portal, the land beyond this: they were all a lie and I don't- I really don't know what to believe anymore. Maybe this is home after all. So many things are missing, and so many things just feel so wrong,_ ~~but it's all we~~  but it's all I have.  
  
Those who chose not to come are long gone. If I do send a scout that through sheer luck finds them, I'm not even sure if they'd want to come back. Our numbers are dwindling and things are falling apart. What can I say? The compound was briefly overrun by monsters in our absence and is now in shambles, Pyro has gotten worse, and Nebris is gone without a trace. Even Paul left on his own. He said he'd lost his faith in me as a leader. I'm starting to wonder if he may be right. I never wanted this damn job anyway. Bdubs says he trusts me, but how much longer before I lose that too?  
  
And at the end of this all, I don't know where else to go. BTC was right. There is no portal, there is no somewhere else. So what do we do? Fight monsters and live on in an empty existence just waiting for the nightmen to come and take us away? I don't think I can stand for that, but there may be no other choice.  
  
Kurt says he has some ideas, some leads to follow involving the fortress we found beyond that damned obsidian portal. It might be something but I'm saving my hope for better tidings. A cure would be the first step. I don't know what I'd do if we lose Pyro, after everything else I've lost. Shree, Nebris, Seth; it's like my whole world's falling apart.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"We're finally going home," Guude said, and Seth felt nigh invincible.  
  
They did it. He couldn't believe it but they damn well did it. The beast was dead, the new portal was in sight, and there was nothing left to fear. Seth almost hadn't wanted to believe Nebris, but by the heavens he was right! This was The End, and the very thought of it had Seth gasping with an almost child-like delight.  
  
He looked at the portal with awe. It was a simple structure of thick, dark stone, not far from where they'd finally struck the great beast down. The portal within shimmered and swirled like an indigo night sky, with a single rocky pillar thrust through the centre. A delicate, deep purple relic sat atop the pillar like a prize for their great triumph. He felt the urge to reach out and touch it, but, at the same time, he feared it might break if he did.  
  
So, instead, he merely watched, eyes wide and shining as the group circled the portal, ready to face their fate together.  
  
And one by one they did. Guude first, then Pause and Beef together, followed by Kurt and Pyro and all the rest. Finally, Seth was all that remained. He stared out into the void and grey, whispering a final goodbye, left to float through the nothingness. In the distance, something blinked, and Seth dipped his toes into the cool of the portal. The last he saw was a flash of thunderous purple boring into his eyes, then suddenly there was only black.  
  
He felt as if he were floating, slowly spinning in a direction otherwise unknown. He blinked and the darkness blurred together, shifting and undulating between unidentifiable shapes. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat.  
  
Vertigo. Flashing. Unidentifiable sound. He was the universe and the universe was him.  
  
Warmth and softness pleasantly wrapped against his form. He breathed in, and out, familiar smells rushing to fill his lungs. His extremities tingled as realisation began to set in. Adrenaline, joy, rushing excitement. Home! He was finally home! He dared to open his eyes, afraid everything he had gained would just as quickly slip away.  
  
Seth took in the familiar wooden ceiling, a rush of emotion still butting his brain. Outside, ashes barely a week old danced against a tall fence surrounding a large compound. The air was unsettlingly quiet. He stiffened as the realisation began to set in.  
  
Then, bone chilling fear as he lay paralysed beneath a midnight shadow. He dared not blink, he dared not breathe.  
  
Hot, thunderous purple—the last thing he ever saw.  
  
~ ~ ~


	14. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new player takes centre stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? After 4 years it's finally over. I thank all of you who've stuck around this long (especially my wonderful beta silvercheers who keeps me motivated and my writing crisp and shiny). It's been an amazing journey writing this and is by far my favourite work to have ever written. And I really hope you enjoy this and what's to come. The party ain't over yet.

In the beginning, there was Arkas: a lonely king to this empty world with a throne of dust and a crown of bone. And when his castle turned to sand, he set out to conquer the far-reaching land.  
  
And so the saga begins...  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
In the early days, Arkas' discovery of fire was a blessing. Food, warmth, protection, everything a lonely man in a strange land could ever want. Now, with smoke so thick he could barely see and his lungs burning with every breath, he dreaded it with every fibre of his being. Stranded at the highest edge of the jungle canopy, he, Aurey, and Chad flinched away from the blistering fire below. Sweat clung to the ridges of their noses and tickled the napes of their necks, but the only things they felt were heat and fear. Under their hands, their precious tree branch groaned and cracked. The jungle fire licked closer, threatening their already-precarious position.  
  
"What are we gonna do?" said Aurey. She shifted uncomfortably on her perch, eyes darting around for any sort of escape. With thinning jungle canopies in front, and a growling fire below, they were well and truly fucked.  
  
"Maybe we can jump?" said Chad. He coughed and looked down at the fire. It danced mockingly beneath them, as though it had already claimed the group within its gaping maw. They had at least twenty blocks to fall – more than enough to crunch bone – but their chances were looking slimmer by the minute.  
  
"And miraculously survive the fall and make it past the fire before our skin melts off our bodies," Arkas snapped. He teetered on the branch, on the verge of panic.  
  
"I know, but what other option do we have?"  
  
"Either way, I think we're dead," said Aurey. "It might be the only shot we have."  
  
Arkas took another searing breath and closed his eyes. Below him, the charcoal remnants of his tree-top watch tower crumbled to the jungle floor. All of it, gone, in a blink of an eye. The fire had spread from the coast to the jungle, leaving his kingdom in ruins. All he had now were his secrets and a miracle. And now, he would have sacrifice one to keep the three of them alive.  
  
The branch below them cracked again, the crowning twigs catching alight. "I think I have something," he said, "but you'll have to trust me."  
  
"Trust you!?" said Aurey. "You've given us no reason to trust you since we got here. And now, now this.” She gestured expansively at the burning jungle. “You've done this. This is all your fault."  
  
"Aurey," warned Chad.  
  
She simply shook her head: no.  
  
"Why should you trust me?" said Arkas. "I know I haven’t given you much, but if nothing else, I’m your friend. At least trust me on that. I know I haven’t told you things, well, a lot of things really, but this is one of those things and, and really, what else do we have?”  
  
"I don't think I can," said Aurey, her voice strained with conflict. Sparks spat at her fingertips and she strangled a cry into a whimper, shuffling back.  
  
Arkas palmed the small metallic pearl in his pocket and prayed to whatever god he could imagine existing in this empty place. "Please," he began to plead, before a loud cry cut through the smoke.  
  
 _Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_  
  
The next thing Arkas knew, he was being swept off his feet and sent flying through the air. His toes grazed the flames as they passed by in a blur. Then, there was a crash and a shout as he and his unknown saviour came to a lumbering stop amid the undergrowth, just beyond the reach of the flames.  
  
Eyes stinging from the smoke, and the world still spinning, Arkas looked up in a daze at the stranger who had come to their rescue. "I don't- who are you?" he stuttered, throat dry and raspy with acrid ash.  
  
The man gave a self-assured smirk. "I'm Sevadus, but you can call me daddy."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sevadus let out a triumphant whoop as his diamond blade cut through the enderman for the final time, damning the creature to dissolve to dust. He turned back to the other three, dishing out hi-fives to Chad, Aurey, and finally Arkas.  
  
"Nice swing," said Aurey, eyeing up Sevadus' new diamond sword.  
  
"No doubt about that," he replied. "Was a shame that Arkas couldn't take it down, though. If I sweat any more through these pants I'll look like I've wet myself."  
  
Arkas grimaced and looked away, hand still stinging from Sevadus' enthusiastic high-five. Ignoring Sev's quip for the better part, he tried to peer through the woodlands and make sense of their new surroundings. While the trees were still thick and abundant, the undergrowth was unusually sparse for the climate. He kicked uneasily at the downtrodden grass. They had neither seen nor heard a single animal since they'd came through the forest.  
  
"Where to next?" he said to Sevadus. "You seem so sure of the way."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't quite call myself sure. But if there's one thing for certain, it's that we're heading towards adventure.”  
  
"That works for me," said Aurey, wiping the dust from her sword.  
  
Arkas huffed, but the unspoken decision had already been made. The other three moved practically in unison, onwards to whatever direction Sevadus had arbitrarily picked. All he could do was follow as they broke out of the forest and into a sweeping green clearing.  
  
The sight was magnificent: a ridge of gently sloping hills came curling around the bowl-shaped valley they stood within. The spring-green forest draped lazily around the edges of the clearing, forming a near-perfect circle around the grassy plains within. To the west, he could see the sun shining over the hills to light the edges of the valley in a golden glow. It made him want to build and conquer and complement the land with an equally grandiose creation. At least, it would have if it weren't for the tall, wooden fence, worn and splintered, surrounding a clutter of buildings that had already made home on the easterly side of the clearing.  
  
"This one of yours?" asked Chad, breaking through Arkas' imaginings.  
  
"Nope, but that raises its own questions. If it's not mine, then who or what the hell did create it? I thought we were the only ones here.,” Arkas replied.   
  
"Me so too," Aurey added quietly.  
  
"Either way," said Sev, "Dibs on not being the one to knock."  
  
Much to his chagrin, and Arkas’ carefully hidden delight, Sevadus was the one to knock.  
  
The fence gate rattled loudly. A moment passed before the sound echoed back through the stillness of the valley. "Hello?" he called out, tentatively. "Anyone there?"  
  
Nothing but silence. He knocked again, harder.  
  
Wood crunched together under the force and the latch gave way. The gate swung open, its bottom edge dragging in the dirt. Sevadus placed a single foot past the barrier. His eyes twitched about nervously, as though he were waiting to be struck down where he stood. "Hello?" he asked once more, voice softer this time, less sure of himself. Again, he was greeted with silence.  
  
"Should we go in?" asked Aurey. "Do you think it's safe?"  
  
"I don't know," replied Sev, "but there's only one way to find out."  
  
"I don't trust this," said Arkas. "Nothing about this feels right. If there's no-one here, it feels like we're intruding."  
  
"I'm with Sev on this one," Chad said, resolutely.  
  
"Then it's settled," said Sev, "we're going in."  
  
The dirt paths were just as empty as the entrance: doors closed and windows sealed, with the occasional piece of scrap tumbling across the path in the breeze. Underneath a nearby awning, armour stands stood at haphazard angles and chests remained opened as though the tenants had left in a hurry, taking most of what they owned with them. At a fire pit near the centre of the compound, freshly burnt ashes still lingered between the stones.  
  
At the back of the group, Arkas looked around hawkishly. It was all too quiet, all too eerie. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know what had happened here. Still, the others continued forward, fascinated with the abandoned complex.  
  
"What do you think happened here?" Chad wondered, directing the question at no-one in particular.  
  
Aurey shrugged. "Maybe the mobs got to them? Maybe they just got sick of living here."  
  
"Maybe they're all out for something," supplied Sev, "and they'll be back any moment now."  
  
"If that's the case, I hope they don't mind us wandering in here," said Aurey. She rattled the handle of a passing door. To her surprise, this one opened, revealing a single line of bookshelves against the back wall. "In here," she said, beckoning the others to follow.  
  
The shelves were stacked with rough, leather-bound tomes, some coated in dust and others still glossy with the shine of new leather. Arkas picked one up and idly flipped through the pages. It was filled with a mishmash of rough sketches and neatly penned diagrams of monsters - the mobs he knew to roam the night. Between the pictures, descriptions and notes were written in small, but legible, lettering. He stopped on a page near the middle with a lanky, inky drawing of an enderman.  _Nightman_  was printed as the caption beneath.  
  
He flipped to the very front page and read the title aloud: " _A Library of Monsters — Kurt J Mac._ "  
  
"Well I think they're definitely people," said Sevadus, glancing through a plain-looking text titled  _The Secret Saturday Diaries_. "If they come back, let's hope they're friendly."  
  
"Oh, I assure you, I'm very friendly," came a gravelly voice from the doorway behind them.  
  
Arkas startled, dropping his book with a particularly loud thud as he turned to face the voice. A man stood in the doorway, blocking their exit.  
  
"But the better question is, I think, are you friendly?" the man said with an emphatic sweep of his hand. "Considering that you're the ones who've come traipsing through here to rummage through my stuff."  
  
Arkas crossed his arms defensively and looked the man up and down. He looked quite ordinary: of average height with plain features and not-quite-messy brown hair. However, he spoke in carefully measured tones with an unmistakable air of authority. His voice alone was nearly enough for Arkas to skip over one very important detail—his eyes were a bright, unnatural purple. It was hard to tell with the light filtering in from behind him, giving his outline an almost ethereal appearance, but they almost seemed to hold a glow of their own.  
  
"Kurt?" he asked, with an edge of wariness.  
  
"Not quite," said the man, "but I suppose it's close enough. For now, my name's not important, but I would rather like to know who the four people I’ve caught sneaking around here are."  
  
Sevadus was quick to introduce them all, ignorant to Arkas' hesitation. He offered up a charming smile and explained himself calmly. "We were just passing through when we saw this place. I’m absolutely amazed that others might be out here and we just had to come look."  
  
"I'm sorry about us barging in like that," Aurey added, diplomatically. "This place looked abandoned and no-one answered when we knocked."  
  
"Fair enough," said the man. He idly drummed at the diamond sword at his hip, as though to let them know it was there if its owner had need of it.  
  
"And what about you? Did you build this all yourself?" Arkas asked, with a pointed twirl of his finger.  
  
"Heavens no," he replied. "There were others here. Quite a few of them, actually. At least, until they all left."  
  
"There were?!" Chad exclaimed in wonderment. "Why'd they leave? Are they coming back? How many were there?" he rushed to add.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Just be glad they're gone," said the man. "They tried to kill me once, maybe twice. And only one of those times was an accident." He gave a sugary smile that Aurey, Chad, and Sev played straight into.  
  
"Is that so," Arkas said, flatly.  
  
"I do expect them to be back in a day or so. And when that happens, I'll be long gone. If you value anything about yourselves, really, you'll be gone too."  
  
"Oh," Aurey said quietly, her features dropping.  
  
Sevadus gave a Nebris thoughtful look. “I guess we really won’t be sticking around, then.”  
  
“Which is a real shame,” added Aurey. “All these books here – there’s so much to learn from them. Potions, portals; I could sit in here for days.”  
  
"It really is such a shame, but when you do leave, I hope it's no trouble if I tag along with you," said the man.  
  
"It's no trouble at all," said Sev. Chad and Aurey nodded in agreement.  
  
The man gave another of his winning smiles. “Absolutely perfect. Now, have you guys ever heard of a nether star?”  
  
"If you're to come with us, it would be polite for us to at the very least know your name," Arkas interrupted. He scowled at the man, trying to read beyond his words and expressions. None of this felt right. It was all too convenient, all too sudden.  
  
"Gosh, where are my manners? You can call me Nebris,” he said, offering his hand.  
  
“An absolute pleasure,” said Arkas, though he ignored the waiting hand. He opted to stare straight into Nebris’ creepy eyes, waiting for… something. A glint of falseness, a shred of ill intent, anything. He found none and found himself even more leery of Nebris for it.  
  
Later that day, with the compound behind them and the warm sun settling below the trees, Arkas spoke. “I don’t trust him,” he said, fully aware that no-one was listening. “Neither should you.”  
  
~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not my lovelies, for all your (living) favourites shall return in:
> 
> The Wither Effect
> 
> Coming to you as soon as I can get off my lazy (and somewhat busy I'm sorry) ass and write it. Keep subscribed to the series page if you want those updates sent straight to your inbox.
> 
> I'll see you again soon!


End file.
